Squeaker
by Nyx6
Summary: Jon Moxley as seen through the eyes of his baby sister. Really just an excuse for some protective, loving Mox. Don't know what this is, but it's pretty damn cute though. Rated for language.
1. Katie Finds Mox

**Okay, new story time and I honestly don't really know what this is. It just popped into my head and apparently I had to write it but in essence it's just Jon Moxley being really really sweet. Originally it was going to be a collection of snapshots but it turned into a story with a plot and everything! Who knew?!**

 **Hope you like this first little chapter...**

* * *

 **\- 1 -**

 **Katie Finds Mox**

The woman had been trying to catch his eye the whole match-up. Whooping and hanging her breasts across the barriers like he would suddenly make heart eyes at her Tex Avery _cartoon-style_. Maybe even loll his tongue out like a hound dog and honk like a submarine.

 _Awoooooga_.

Sadly for her however he didn't but he _did_ make a mental note of where she was. Front row on the right. Strapless zebra tube dress. Black plastic boots right up to her thighs. She was clearly a ring rat and already wasted but completely fucking shameless so good enough for one night. She winked at him as he stumbled out past her having left his opponent in a heap on the mat. He was swaggering, full of brash Jon Moxley confidence and so he licked his lips and winked right back.

"Want a little company handsome?"

Mox rubbed his jaw like he was thinking,

"Come 'round back."

Her smoky eyeliner-smeared eyes briefly widened and then she scrambled to pick up her bag. A packet of smokes fell onto the warehouse flooring followed by a small bag of hash. Mox snorted wryly. What a fucking class act. Still he'd come too far to turn down her offer and so he simply plodded backstage to throw his threads on and splash some cold water over his face. He kept her waiting because he knew she would still be there and sure enough, when he emerged into the darkness, there his soon-to-be bedfellow was. Slumped like a ragdoll up against the building and giggling to herself like the sloppy mess she was.

"Hey there _you_ ," she slurred, full-on train wreck, reaching out and poking his chest, "Has anyone ever told you you're sexy? Because, lemme tell ya' baby, you are."

Mox grunted back at her, dragging on his cigarette and watching almost lazily as her fingers roamed lower down. They started by toying with his shirt buttons clumsily before giving up and zoning in straight on his flies.

"Whoa, someone's keen. You want some a' Mox darlin'?"

The woman giggled wildly,

" _Mmm_ , uh huh."

With her mildly shaking digits still fumbling his zipper, she leant in and pressed him back into a kiss. Her tongue tasted like whisky and stale marijuana and her lips were both moist and un-appetizingly cracked. Mox wasn't sure if he should even _be_ kissing her or whether he should be trying to find her some help. Not that it stopped him from _juddering_ a little as she forcefully clapped her hand across his junk, palming it through the open flies of his denim and eliciting herself a gruff Moxley grunt.

"Fuck – ,"

" _Hmmm_ ," she exhaled back at him hungrily, trailing kisses along his cheek before _sucking_ on his ear. His hands came down to steady her hips and taking it as a _come on_ she leaned in close, rubbing her soft peaks over his pectorals in circular motions that made her nipples grow stiff. Down in his boxers he could feel the tell-tale stirrings and evidently so could she because the next thing he knew she was latched onto his lips again, open-mouthed and panting. It was a _horrible_ kiss. His dick however still twitched in appreciation and stubbing out his cigarette he figured _what the hell_? She wanted sex and he was happy to give it, but that was all it would ever be between them. Sex and nothing more. He hoped she knew that.

"These fucking muscles – you're _so_ fucking sexy."

Clearly the _one night_ thing was okay by her and so dropping his head Mox returned the sloppy tongue lashing, his hand creeping up to rub over her breast.

"Is this what you like?" he growled, tweaking a nipple, "This what you wanted?"

She moaned into his mouth,

" _Hmmmm_."

In fact he was getting so into their groping that he only half registered the sound of footsteps to their right, a light tread splashing through the late fall puddles and then stopping uncertainly.

The voice was small.

"Mox?"

Small but identifiable and his head shot up instantly, eyes wide with astonishment as he blinked into the night.

"What the _fuck_?"

A brown haired girl – kinda short for her seven years and skinny as a rake but still cute as hell – stood in front of them, hugging the wall anxiously and grinding the toe of her sneaker into the dirt. Her straight long locks fell down around her shoulders but was fluffing slightly in the gradually swelling breeze. Her coat was oversized in the expectation she'd _grow into it_ but mostly it just swamped her, reaching right down to her knees. There was a face peeking out from one of the pockets. That of a well-loved and threadbare stuffed cat. Mox knew it instantly, he knew the _girl_ instantly and he pushed away from his hook-up in dumbfounded confusion as the blonde lush frowned and sagged against the wall,

"Who's _that_? You got a god damn kid or something?"

Mox ignored her,

"Katie? What the hell?"

Crossing the distance between himself and the youngster, Mox dropped into a baffled semi-crouch, blue eyes scanning the identically coloured irises as he gripped her elbows lightly and anchored her in place.

"Mox, I – I – ,"

"What are you doin' here? How d'ya even _get_ way out here on your own?"

Her tiny body trembled in response to him and she sucked in a wobbly, _edge-of-tears_ breath. The noise set alarm bells ringing in Moxley's brainstem and he narrowed his gaze at her,

"Squeaker, y'okay?"

Unfortunately however she didn't get to answer him as the ring rat unceremoniously pushed off from the brick, sauntering over and draping arms around Moxley like she thought the pint-sized newcomer was something of a threat.

"Babe? Who's this?"

Mox snorted roughly.

 _Babe_ now was it? Holy fucking shit.

Maybe it was a good thing that Katie had interrupted them, because while Mox did crazy he did _not_ do insecure and his potential bed buddy was already grating on what was getting dangerously close to his last nerve. Raising his shoulders he quickly shrugged her off again, growling a little,

"She's my sister."

"She's _what_?"

Without either the wall or his body to lean on, the woman was starting to wobble about, suddenly pitching sideways without any warning and only just managing to right herself in time. Evidently she thought the near-miss was pretty funny, because as soon as she was balanced she let out a laugh, cackling into the night air like a werewolf and making Katie's worried little eyes grow wide. Mox shook his little sister gently, drawing her attention and pawing roughly through her hair,

"I _said_ what the hell are you doin' way out here? _Please_ say you didn't fuckin' walk it on your own?"

The sneaker toe dug into the dirt again stubbornly and Katie's brow drew in as she quickly dropped her gaze, not wanting to meet her older brother's eyeline as he glared across expectantly,

"Um, _kinda_ I guess. But – but I _really_ needed to find you."

Mox blinked,

"So what you're sayin' is you walked here in the dark? God _damn_ it Squeaker. Y'know that's fuckin' _nuts_ right? You have any idea what might 'a happened to you? Any idea how many assholes there are hangin' 'round out there just waitin' for some kid to come along? _Fuck_."

Reaching out instinctively he pulled his sister close to him, throwing arms around her clumsy but warm. The tiny little frame leant into him gladly and he could feel her fingers fist tight hands into his shirt.

"M' sorry Mox."

 _Mox_.

His nickname.

The one she'd picked up on when she'd still been in diapers and had faithfully stuck to over the years. He was Mox and she was Squeaker. Cutesy little nicknames were just kinda their _thing_.

"S' alright Squeaks, no harm done, huh? Just promise me you'll never pull this kinda shit again?"

Releasing her, Mox watched his sister think about it, almost chewing her bottom lip in half. Using his thumb he tweaked it out gently, not wanting her to bloody herself on his account. Clearly there was something much more going on with her, well _obviously_ if she'd hot footed it all the way out there. To the crappy warehouse she knew her older brother wrestled in whenever his crazy gig swung into town.

"I just – I just needed to find you."

The blue eyes that swung up to him almost broke his heart. They were wide and tearful and so damn _beseeching_ but they were also familiar and suddenly he knew why.

"How long's she been gone _this_ time?"

Katie faltered,

"Two days."

Mox rocked back onto his heels in frustration.

Two days that poor excuse of a woman had left a seven year old girl all alone? His fists clenched up on furious instinct but he fought down the urge to turn round and punch the wall, knowing that it would probably frighten her and figuring that the kid had been freaked out enough. What she needed was someone calm and stable but in lieu of that, he guessed he would have to do and so offering his hand out he took her little fingers and tugged at them slightly,

"C'mon Squeaker, let's getcha home."

The woman that Mox had been very briefly groping was still stood behind him looking forlorn but as her conquest moved off, she grabbed his arm desperately and dragged him to a halt,

"Um, excuse me? We were _doing_ something."

Mox shrugged,

"Sorry Sweet Cheeks, catch ya next time?"

The woman blinked swiftly – like she was going to contest it – then without warning, turned around and threw up. _Wow_. What a romantic encounter _that_ would have been. Still, it gave them a sudden opening to get out of there and so Mox turned and led his sister past the vomit, ignoring the groans of alcohol poisoning and the wafting smell of liquor and an unhealthy life.

"Is she – ," Katie started uncertainly, "She okay Mox?"

His answer was a snort-grunt,

"Probably not."

"I think she maybe needs to go see a doctor."

"I think she maybe needs to go see a shrink."

Katie frowned at him in puzzlement,

"What's a _shrink_ do?"

"That's a doctor that mends people's heads."

His sister frowned as she processed the factoid, then nodded slowly to show she understood.

They were halfway across the dark and half-filled parking lot when she spoke up again, her voice sounding small but cheery in the lamplight as she giggled a little,

"Mox? Your flies are still undone."

 _Fuck._

* * *

 **So? Thoughts?**


	2. Mox Takes Katie Home

**So here we go, part two of this story which might** _ **just**_ **be my new favourite thing I've ever written. Lots of brother-sister vibes, hope you enjoy it. Also, because these chapters are short, I should be able to put this up quite fast.**

 **Skovko, Fancy meeting you here! Yeah, I'm not usually into kid fics either but this one simply wouldn't leave me alone.**

 **Mandy, Hey you! This one's a bit different from my other stories, but glad you're biting!**

 **Labinnacslove, Always good to switch up the writing styles/themes every once in a while. Glad you think it's cute so far!**

 **Sammii Vega, I hope the rest smells as good as the first chapter! Recipe's a family secret though (sorry, I do love a good pun!)**

 **Psion53, Glad you find the concept interesting. Don't ask me where I got the idea from though. Who knows how my muse works? She just occasionally goes crazy and plucks random stuff out. Much like this!**

 **RedRose85, Yay! Glad I've hooked you in.**

 **Freakygeekqueen, I'm super happy you think so. I've kind of been writing more dramatic stuff lately and I wanted something sweet, so this is it!**

 **Christine Carpenter Adams, Well don't you worry, there's plenty more! Including this chapter... (what a segue huh?)**

 **Nolabell66, My thoughts entirely. Dean would make a great big bro. Hopefully that comes across in the rest of this. I won't deny I just wanted this fic to be sweet!**

 **Ohana1337, Ooh, hello again! Pleased that you like it. One chapter in and you're already declaring your love?! Hopefully chapter two lives up to the first!**

* * *

 **\- 2 -**

 **Mox Takes Katie Home.**

The apartment was the same one Mox had grown up in and it had changed precious little in the years since he'd left.

It was still the same two bed, one bath combo, the key still stuck in the lock of the door, the right lounge window still didn't close properly and it was still full of crap and was generally unloved. Not that his own place was exactly a palace – most days it looked like a designated squat – but then _he_ was twenty four and not raising a kid there, so as usual their mother had no fucking excuse.

The door opened jerkily and crashed up against some boxes which someone had seen fit to stack high on the other side.

"What the – ,"

"Those are Doug's things," Katie offered shyly, toying with one of the cardboard flaps as her older brother tried to squeeze himself past them, arriving in the hall with a curse and a stumble as the pocket of his jacket caught around the metal knob.

"Doug? Who's Doug?"

"Mom's new boyfriend."

Mox bit a grunt back.

He should've fucking known. Another man on the rotating wheel of boyfriends that never slowed down and never seemed to stop. Seriously, their mother's taste in partners was abysmal. Almost legendary for being so poor.

"He like the rest of 'em?"

" _Uh huh._ I don't like him," Katie frowned, "He scares me."

"How?"

Mox couldn't help it, his entire face darkened, his big brother instinct kicking in hard. Katie was easily the best person in their family. She was smart, kind and funny not to mention _button_ cute. There were two things in life that Jon Moxley took seriously and his sister was the second one outside of his career. In response to his question Katie looked downwards, rocking onto her tiptoes in an evasive little move.

 _Shit_.

"Squeaker? _How_? How does he scare you?"

Katie shrugged,

"He looks at me kinda _funny_ sometimes."

"Describe it."

" _Um_ , it's sort of like the lady."

Mox blinked,

"The lady?"

"Uh huh, the one from before. _You know_ the one that was kissing you back there."

" _Her_?"

"Yep. He looks at me like that."

A cold chill shivered its way through Mox's system, along with a single word.

 _Fuck, fuck, fuck_.

She had said it naturally and all in total innocence, not understanding what any of it meant. Mox understood though, he understood _too_ well and his response was quick and feral,

"He touch you?"

"What?"

"Katie, has he touched you?"

The small blue eyes stared back like he was crazy and she shook her head in bafflement,

"No."

"You sure?"

"Uh huh."

She seemed unaffected. Just the same chirpy, grinning baby girl she always was. If something _had_ happened then Mox would have known it. She was terrible at lying. Especially to him.

Pulling free the plush toy kitten the little girl skipped away into the lounge, her older brother following behind her slightly slower and trying to process what the hell was going on. Being back in the apartment felt stifling but then again it pretty much always had. Mox's childhood hadn't been a great one which was why he was so invested in making sure hers _was_.

He found his sister cross-legged on the sofa making the tabby cat toy wave it paws. Its name was Catsup and it had long been a fixture although what she'd always wanted was a living _breathing_ pet. Their mother had always maintained she was allergic but the only thing she couldn't really stomach was hard work.

That and actually raising her children. She had always been pretty damn hopeless at that.

Mox fought the thought back and moved into the kitchen, expecting a disaster zone. It all looked pretty clean. In fact it looked cleaner than it did when their mother _wasn't_ gone, which promptly made him angry again.

Two fucking days.

She was seven years old for Christ sakes.

His ever mounting fury was getting harder to control.

"You eaten tonight Squeaker?"

Katie paused and leaned forwards, biting her bottom lip and shaking her head,

"No."

Mox winced,

"But, I mean, you _have_ been eatin' right? You must 'a had _somethin_ ',"

"Yep, PB and J."

Sandwiches? Okay, well that was definitely _something_ but hardly enough for a growing rugrat like her. All that energy needed sustaining and no way was some bread and preserve going to do. The poor kid was probably halfway to starving. What she _needed_ was feeding up but she damn well deserved it too. That meant there was only one feasible option and so Mox fixed a smirk at her,

"How 'bout I get us a big ol' pizza delivered?"

Her mouth dropped open _o_ -shaped,

"Right now? For real?"

"Sure thing Squeaker, what d'ya want on it? Capers, chillies, anchovies?"

"No."

"Did you say _yes_?" Mox cupped an exaggerated hand around his earlobe, hamming it up until she squealed at him,

" _No_!"

As he drew closer she climbed onto the armrest, reaching her hands up to swing around his neck. He had long been used as a personal jungle gym and in the scheme of things that was fine by him.

"Can't hear you Squeaker, you wanna add extra spinach?"

The reply was louder and longer,

" _Noooo!"_

"Alright, alright," Mox sighed dramatically, " _Sheesh_ you shoulda just said _no_ in the first place."

Katie giggled at him,

"You're funny Mox."

"Funny, huh? You talkin' funny _haha_ here, or funny like I might need lockin' up?"

Katie thought about it hard for a second, her eyes rising up as she tapped at her lip. She was giving him a run in the _overacting_ department and he fucking loved that and how naturally it came. Eventually she huffed a long-suffering little sigh out,

" _Mmm_ , funny like you need locking up."

"Is that right?"

She nodded,

"Uh huh."

Mox growled a little,

"I'll give you _need_ _locking up_."

Pushing her backwards but pillowing her fall protectively by wrapping her up in the safety of his arms, Mox pinned the giggling youngster to the cushions and began to tickle her until she yelled and squirmed.

"Mox!"

Her laughter was uplifting and the whole thing was comfortable which was the way the two of them had always been. _Thick as thieves_ their mother had said once, not intended as a complement but it had been one to them. They just seemed to _get_ how one another functioned, like they instinctively knew what the other might need. Their mother and older sister were scarily similar, so maybe that was just the way the genes had worked out? Not that Katie was going to be a wrestler, she was way more intelligent than that. Mox had her pegged as an astronaut or a surgeon – provided she ate more than peanut butter and bread.

" _Stop_!" Katie wailed, almost breathless with laughter, her blue eyes sparkling happily, "Mox s- _stop_."

By the time he pulled her upright, her hair had gone static and so he smoothed it back down with a fond little grunt. How the fuck could anyone abandon her? What the hell had she ever done wrong?

"Hey," he intoned more seriously as she giggled, "Next time you call me. Soon as she's gone, right?"

"I couldn't," Katie pawed her hair down clumsily, "Don't have your number."

"I'll get it for you, okay? In fact – y'know what – I'll buy you a cell phone, your own one, alright? Stop this happenin' again."

Her blue eyes widened in excitement,

"My own cell phone?"

"Sure, why not?"

"Mom said I couldn't have one."

Mox grunted,

"Yeah? Well she ain't here right now. Plus, _she's_ the god damn reason you need one. 'Sides, we won't tell her. It'll be our little secret. Now go and get changed for bed already an' I'll order a pizza, that sound alright? Lotta cheese, no anchovies, no chillies, I promise."

She launched up and hugged him, holding him tight,

"Thank you Mox, you're the best brother _ever_."

His arms folded round her instinctively,

"Damn straight."

Then she turned and jumped off the sofa before scurrying from the room to do as he'd said. For a second Moxley stood and stared after her, wondering what the hell to do next. What happened _after_ he'd got her fed and settled? What if their mother never came back? His head was spinning with questions and problems and he couldn't latch onto them enough to take control. There was one thing he _could_ do however and so sighing, he took out his cell phone, dialled and then waited before saying two words.

"Pizza, large."

* * *

 **Okay, so in the next chapter we meet their absentee mother and things, um, don't go well!**


	3. Mom Comes Home

**So a big thanks to all my lovely reviewers. I honestly didn't know if anyone would care about this. It's pretty niche, but I'm glad I'm not alone in it! Everybody's welcome!**

 **RedRose85, As it turns out it's not quite as simple...but I'm kinda getting ahead of myself now! But agreed her mother is not a good parent as I hope you are about to find out!**

 **Sammii Vega, Stern talking to coming up! Or, well, an attempted one!**

 **Psion53, I think this is probably the sweetest story I've ever written. I'm kind of a sucker for super soft big brothers which helps to explain this sibling cuteness overload!**

 **Freakygeekqueen, I always reply. It's the least I can do when people take time out of their lives to leave reviews. Super glad it fulfills all your fluffy Mox needs!**

 **Ohana1337, Well, I can't go beating on Dean always! Plus, the next best thing to hurty Dean is protective Dean. So this is it! Really happy you like their relationship. I probably shouldn't say it (kind of egotistical to clap your own back) but I love it too!**

 **Mandy, So you're the little sister in your family, huh? I'm the big sister by quite a long way. Glad you love these two as much as you do. That's what I was hoping for!**

 **Skovko, Yep, Mox is just an all round amazing brother! Kinda figured that for as wild as he is in the ring, there had to be a soft side in there somewhere!**

* * *

 **\- 3 -**

 **Mom Comes Home.**

Despite the fact that she'd been gone for two days without any word or form of contact at all, their mother rolled in soon after they'd finished dinner and just as Mox was throwing the pizza box away. Katie had been sent off with orders to get her teeth brushed and then climb into bed to wait for him to tuck her in. She'd gone off happily, with her little stomach full again and that had made Moxley even _more_ fucking mad.

It wasn't like the parenting thing was rocket science. Hard work, sure, but not tough to figure out. How difficult was it to give a kid some dinner? Or to just make sure there was an adult in her life? There was no fucking way that his defenceless little sister ever deserved to wake up all alone and so as the keys rattled – then predictably stuck – in the door lock, Mox tensed angrily.

He was ready to raise some hell.

As the door swung open it crashed into the box pile and he heard his mother giggle in response, clearly finding the mess in the apartment a source of amusement rather than shame. Just the _sound_ of her sniggering and snorting was enough to make Mox's hackles stand on end and so by the time she staggered into the kitchen he was already clench-fisted and ready to go.

" _Sssh_ ," she intoned loudly to her comrade, who Mox assumed was this fucking _Doug_ guy, " _Sssh_ , she's sleepin', don' wake up baby."

"Like you give a fuck."

Blue eyes swung his way, addled by booze and probably far worse than that, but startled as well and clearly caught off her guard,

"Jonny? What're you – what're doin' here?"

"You really have to fuckin' ask?"

But apparently she did, because at the sound of his sharp tones her brow crumpled inwards like she had no earthly clue, like she couldn't begin to _fathom_ why he might be pissed at her,

"Did I f'get your birthday or somethin'?"

Mox almost laughed at her, shaking his head,

"You're somethin' fuckin' else, y'know that?"

"What's that mean? What're you all heated for? Don' get you Jonny. You're always so mad."

The woman – like his earlier _almost conquest_ had been – was so fucking drunk that she could barely even stand, bobbing around like a kid in a bouncer, her gaze wandering wildly and unfocused around the room. There was absolutely no point in wearing the kid gloves for _this_ one, so Mox just got straight to the salient point.

"You fuckin' left Katie alone here for _two days_."

His mother's gaze narrowed,

"Katie? Bab' girl?"

Mox snorted at her,

"That's right, _your baby_. The one you walked out on for forty-eight hours. She didn't even have anythin' to fuckin' _eat_. She walked halfway across town in the dark to find me. What the fuck kinda deadbeat mother are you? Where the fuck have you even _been_?"

"Been?"

Mox bit back a growl,

"Where _were_ you?"

His mother waved an airy hand,

"Y' know, jus' _out_. Havin' fun. Oughta try it sometime. Might make you a little less angry n' uptight."

"I'm fuckin' _angry and uptight_ because of you," Mox barked, drawing an honestly baffled looking blink, "Do you really not give the first fuck about your daughter? You haven't even been in to _see_ her yet."

His mother sniffed,

"She'll be fine, she's always fine. She's jus' one of them really resilient kids."

In the course of her wild and _way off base_ assessment – during which she fucked the word _resilient_ right up – the older woman had been rooting through her clutch bag and letting out a sigh, she pulled out a blunt. Mox reached across and snatched it away from her, snapping it in half,

"Not fuckin' in here."

"Hey – ,"

"No dice, alright? Not in front 'a Katie."

"Oh, s' okay, she doesn't really mind."

Mox growled,

"Listen, that's not the fuckin' _point_ , alright? You shouldn't be doin' it when you've got fuckin' kids."

"Doug does it all the time."

Moxley stiffened at hearing the name again, the syllable annoying him. Fucking _Doug._

"Speakin' of which," he drawled, "Where _is_ that asshole? Got a few _words_ I wanna exchange."

"What does that mean?"

Mox went to push past her, cracking his knuckles,

"You're about to find out."

Despite her booze and drug encrusted consciousness, his mother seemed to catch on pretty quick, grabbing his arm and pulling him back towards her with what was actually a surprising amount of strength. Not enough to make him stop if he didn't want to, but more than he'd have given her any credit for.

"Don' you touch 'im Jonny. You're not fuckin' it up this time. Doug's the best thing that's ever happened t' me."

Mox snorted mildly,

"Kinda tragic don't you think _mom_?"

"Shut your mouth Jonny – ,"

"Come on, you're tellin' me you don't see the joke here? I mean, you spend your whole life waitin' for Mr Right to come by on that big ol' fairy tale _white horse_ 'a his, an' then when he _does_ , turns out the guy's a paedophile."

His mother blinked at him in bafflement,

"What?"

 _Jesus Christ._

She hadn't even _seen_ it she'd been so head over heels in crazy messed up love. Mox shook himself from her clammy grip roughly and took a step back, his anger only just in check,

"He frightens Katie, she doesn't like the way he looks at her."

"That doesn't mean anythin'."

Mox growled at her,

"It fuckin' does."

In response to his assessment his mother blew a breath out, sounding petulant and equal parts frustrated all at once. It was the same relationship they'd been nurturing since his childhood, full of sparks and bile and endlessly clashing wills. Neither one of them had been built to back down from things and definitely _not_ when they thought they were right.

"Doug's not like that. You don' know what you're sayin'."

"Katie knows."

"She's seven."

"But not stupid. She _knows_."

Stepping towards him with a finger outstretched warningly briefly threw his mother off her game, as her booze-fogged world tilted on its axis and put her off-balance into the couch. She dropped down onto the stained arm heavily with a tiny little _oof_ noise but still carried on, fixing hot and dangerously flashing irises directly at her rebellious son.

"Now you listen up and you listen good Jonny – ,"

But that was pretty much as far as she got, because as she readied to launch into her lecture a second voice promptly cut through the fight, calling out from somewhere a little way off down the hallway and both tiny and deeply panicked as it pleaded for help,

" _Mox_?"

He was out of the room in less than a second and almost _jogging_ towards his sister's bedroom door. He could hear his mother lumbering out after him but ignored it.

He no longer gave a shit about her.

"Squeaker?"

"Mo _x_ – ,"

 _Shit_.

The kid sounded frightened and so he picked up his pace and skidded in across the threshold before grinding to a halt at the scene that he saw.

"What the _fuck_?"

It was a pretty good opening and the two other people in the room turned around, drinking him in with differing expressions ranging from relief to baffled alarm.

There was a tubby guy standing in the middle of Katie's bedroom, with a scruffy beard and tiny round spectacles that hid a drink-addled stare. He was blinking in large, exaggerated eye movements, clearly not knowing who the fuck Mox was, but that wasn't even the most infuriating feature. At some point the guy had stripped his pants off, the fabric lying pooled around his ankles as he tried in drunken stupor to shuck the things off. Mox wasn't entirely sure _why_ he was disrobing nor at that point did the brawler much care. What he _did_ care about however, was his sister and as his eyes shifted across to her he could almost feel her fear. Katie was on her bed tucked into the corner, having jammed herself back as far as she could go. Her blue eyes were wide with total confusion and Catsup was pressed close in an attempt to shield her face. She whimpered a little and that was it for Moxley, within a second flat he had fucking _Doug_ around the neck.

"Hey, go easy dude – ,"

"What the fuckd'ya think you're doin', huh? What the hell is _wrong_ with you? Do you like kids, huh? Is _that_ your deal here? What were you gonna do asshole? _What were you gonna do_?"

To make his point Mox released the guy suddenly, giving him a powerful two handed shove. Doug stumbled backwards, the jeans still around his ankles, before tripping and crashing hard into the wall. His arm flew out and crashed against a bookshelf and some of Katie's meagre belongings fell down but Mox was too pissed to notice the damage.

His only recourse here was to make the guy hurt.

"Jonny, _no_ – ," his mother screamed suddenly, stumbling in and draping herself across her man. Theoretically speaking it was a pretty noble gesture but it would have been _better_ if she'd defended her kid.

"Look at him," Mox yelled down at her roughly, indicating the half-dressed and now bloodied man, "Look at what the fuck he was doin'. Still think he's so perfect?"

"He's drunk, he's jus' in the wrong room."

Mox snorted loudly,

"You really believe that?"

She pawed her partner's head,

"Dougie? Baby? Y' kay?"

The answer she got was a pathetic sounding mumble as Doug tried to swim through the confusion in his brain. Frankly it was a shame the guy was still conscious but Mox stepped forward. There was still time to change that. He stopped as his mother held a sudden warning hand out, her irises flashing,

"Get out Jon, _get out_."

The screech echoed in off the walls at him loudly but Mox didn't move, he didn't even flinch. His entire focus was on ending the asshole who had leered at his sister and made her scared, although even as the anger coursed hot around his system, there was a tiny little squeak that made him instantly stop dead. Katie was still huddled – frightened – in the corner and looking at her acted like a sudden soothing balsam. Sure he still wanted the break the guy's body but in front of a child? Not even he was _that_ insane.

Stepping back and blowing a long breath out, Mox ran his tongue across his lips.

 _Alright._

His mother was still cooing pathetically at her boyfriend and being more tender than he'd seen her act in years. It was certainly different to how she treated her children. Not that he needed _more_ to add to the list. Crossing the room he gestured to his sister, who was watching him like he was a beacon of light. Given everything she had witnessed and been through he probably _was_ , which wasn't a happy thought.

"Squeaker? Grab your crap, I'm gettin' you outta here."

She stood up clutching Catsup at once, reaching an arm out to him asking to be carried and clearly not wanting to be anywhere near Doug. He responded by sweeping her up from the bed clothes and she snuggled in and wrapped her legs around his waist.

"Mox – ,"

"S' okay Squeaks, m' not lettin' him get near 'ya. Big brother's gotcha now, alright?"

Packing her things up one handed was difficult, but Katie would simply not let him go, so he resorted to just stuffing things into a duffel and her nodding her head into his shoulder as he produced things and providing him with a quick _yes_ or _no_. Their mother still didn't seem to register what was happening, despite her son grunting and throwing things around. For the most part she was too busy with her lover, stroking his face and murmuring softly when he groaned. It was difficult to tell whether hitting the wall face-first or being completely trashed was having the most effect but either way _Doug_ seemed to be pretty much out of it. Not that Mox felt sorry for the guy.

In the end it wasn't until he grabbed up Katie's toothbrush and put her down to shrug her back into her coat that their mother managed to stumble from the bedroom, finally clueing into what was happening beneath her nose.

"Y' can't take her Jonny."

"You fuckin' watch me."

"But I'm her _mother_."

Mox let out a snort, pulling the zipper of the jacket to Katie's jaw line and reached down for her shaky little hand. His sister wrapped her fingers in tight around his digits, stealing his final resolve once and for all.

"Who, you?" he barked out, _dripping_ derision before turning and glaring, "You ain't _nothin'_ to her."

Then together they squeezed past the boxes in the hallway and stepped out into the bitter darkness of the night.

* * *

 **So, that was their mother. Isn't she** _ **lovely**_ **and good old Doug's a hell of a guy as well. Moxley family Christmases must be amazing *muses that as a spin off one shot***


	4. Mox Takes Katie To His Place

**Here we go folks, next little chapter!**

 **RedRose85, Yeah, he had to take her with him really, not a lot of other choices there. Although (as you'll see in later chapters) it's not always easy being the guardian of a kid...**

 **Psion53, That's definitely being in the right place at the right time. All part and parcel of his awesome big brotherness (which is apparently a word, huh, who knew?!)**

 **Skovko, Lots of Mox to the rescue in this story! I won't apologise for it (not that anyone asked me too of course, well, not yet anyway, there's still time I guess!)**

 **Irishfan62, Plenty more Mom and Doug to come (um, yay?!) I'll be honest though, there are no other wrestler cameos in this one. I just wanted to keep it super intimate and small. Hopefully I managed to do that well enough that you won't need cameos (I'll keep my fingers crossed!)**

 **Mandy, Awww, feel better soon. Colds are the worst. I am ducking everyone in the office at the moment. It's like a viral nightmare in there! Every other person that comes in is sneezing. Glad this could slightly brighten you up!**

 **Ohana1337, 'Squeaker' comes from the movie 'All Dogs Go To Heaven' which I adored as a kid. I kind of imagine Mox and Katie having watched it together at some point and having picked it up. I was going to actually write that in somewhere, but for whatever reason I couldn't make it fit. Glad you asked, it** _ **is**_ **really cute though!**

 **Sammii Vega, Unfortunately this isn't the last we see of Doug though, although yes, I agree, he is** _ **not**_ **a nice guy. Families, eh? You can't pick 'em I guess (except for me in this case because I created them, but ignore that bit!)**

 **AngelsDestiny22, Hi, glad you've found this one as well and are enjoying it. Just suddenly fancied a bit of a change and (what can I say) this is the result! I love writing about this side of him too. Plenty more to come, so, as always, stay tuned!**

 **Adrirose, Maybe that should be my tagline 'the story you didn't know you needed in your life!' To be honest, I didn't realize either until I started writing it. Glad my muse threw it down to me though!**

 **Moxleybabe18, Thanks for reviewing, I'm glad you're loving it. Hope that goes for this chapter too!**

* * *

 **\- 4 -**

 **Mox Takes Katie To His Place.**

Because he was out on the road so damn often, Mox didn't have a lot of time to play house. As a result his apartment was barren, devoid of personality and to be honest, kinda _bare_. He _did_ have a sofa and a table and all that shit but it lacked the feel that made it a home. Not that his mother's apartment had that either.

Or maybe it did and it was just buried _way_ down.

Along with her sobriety and maternal desire.

The benefit of _his_ place though was no clutter, which meant he could both open and walk right through the door.

Katie followed him in her jacket and pyjamas, hugging Catsup tightly and looking dog-tired. It had already just struck one in the morning. No wonder she was half-asleep, she should have been long gone.

"Easy Squeaker," he grumbled at her gently as she tried to stifle a violent yawn, "Let's get you into bed, alright Kiddo? Don't want you passin' clean out on the floor."

With her bag in one hand and the other on her shoulders, he steered her towards the corner of the room. It was a tiny apartment with no separated bedroom, but it had a sleeping _area_ which was pretty much the same thing.

Mox's bed was big, soft and comfy and Katie clambered onto it and crawled across the sheets, watching her brother as he unpacked her few belongings and then reached across to unzip her winter coat.

"You plannin' on sleepin' in this thing Squeaker?"

She shook her head at him wearily,

"No."

Mox helped her shrug it off then slung it over the couch arm before heading back towards her and swiftly pulling off her shoes. His exhausted little sister could barely keep upright as her tiny dark lashes fluttered sleepily up and down. Mox smiled a little then peeled back the covers, watching her scramble into them then heavily drop down.

"Smells like you," she mumbled,

"That a good thing?"

"Uh huh," she answered, nodding, "I like it – it's good."

Snorting in amusement, Mox tucked the sheets back round her, pressing them down so she was fully wrapped up. At once she spun onto her back to look up at him, her little brow pulled into a worrisome frown,

"Mox?"

"What's up Squeaks?"

"Why did you get so mad at Doug?"

 _Shit_.

Mox sat down on the bed,

"Because he scared you. I don't like it when people scare my little Munchkin. I mean, that's _kinda_ the whole point of havin' a big brother, right?"

Katie nodded wearily, reaching up a finger and starting to circle the tip of his nose. It was a strange little quirk that she had carried since infancy and particularly when he had come in from the cold. Something about the temperature gave her comfort and knowing it Mox grunted,

"You're a weird kid, y'know?"

"I know," she chirped back, "But there's no such thing as _normal_. Our teacher told us."

"She sounds pretty smart."

Katie giggled,

"No, it's a _he_."

"Who is?"

" _My teacher_ ," she intoned with an eye roll.

"I thought you had that blonde who wore all those dresses?"

Mox remembered her _very_ well. He'd had to swing by to pick up Katie from school once and her teacher had been standing out with her in the yard, looking ridiculously hot in a swing dress with matching red heels and a little white belt. She'd had an actual _roll_ in her blonde hair, like some fucking fifties pin-up _a_ _la_ Marilyn Monroe.

Katie shook her head,

"She's having a baby."

"So some guy's already nabbed her, huh? Figures I guess."

"Mox?"

"What's up Squeaker?"

"Don't send me back there."

At some point while he'd been envisaging her teacher, Katie had clearly been having thoughts of her own but unlike her older brother's more salacious musings, hers were based on what was to come. Nor was it a terrible question, in fact it was valid.

What _was_ to come?

What exactly was the Moxley grand plan here?

He couldn't fucking _keep_ her but he couldn't send her home.

Big blue eyes blinked up at him fretfully and he leaned in closer and smoothed back her hair, tucking Catsup down underneath the bedclothes and grinning to offset things,

"Don't worry Squeaks, y'hear? You're safe now. Mox's gotcha, you're not goin' anywhere. So you just shut your eyes an' don't let that shit bother ya. This face needs its beauty sleep, alright?"

As he spoke he squeezed her cheeks together teasingly before moving even closer to press his forehead against hers. His eyes bored into her, holding her gaze steadily and trying to reassure her.

"So – I can stay?"

"Uh huh, for tonight sure."

"But what about _after_ that?"

Mox grunted,

"Katie, _go to sleep_. We can talk about all this shit in the mornin', don't think about it now, alright? Just shut those lil' eyes."

To make his point he placed his fingers on her eyelids and gently attempted to close them himself. Katie snorted and pushed him away again, but let out a sigh and rolled over on her side. For a minute or two she seemed to be fighting it, like she was trying to fight the exhaustion away. Mox sat silently, watching it happen and didn't breathe right until they finally stayed closed.

 _Fuck._

What a night.

His jumbled thoughts were everywhere, flashing through the last four hours all at once. The booze-soaked ring rat he'd nearly had sex with, Katie's face peering at him in the dark, the pizza, his mother and worst out of all of it Doug in Katie's room trying to peel off his pants. What the hell had the older man been attempting? Had he genuinely drunkenly wandered into the wrong room? Under normal circumstances, Mox might have bought it but Katie's admission earlier had burnt into his soul.

 _He scares me._

 _He looks at me funny._

Sure she was a kid but on some level she _had_ to know. Whatever. It didn't matter. Doug made her feel uncomfortable and regardless of how or why it happened he couldn't let that shit go down.

 _Fuck._

Standing and crossing back over to the kitchen, Mox drew out a bottle of Jack, not wanting to douse himself like his mother but needing something to take off the edge. Taking a swig he smacked his lips together then forced himself to twist the cap back on. Katie already had one adult fail her and choose a life of liquor over being a mom, what she didn't need was her beloved older brother getting one night in and doing the exact same damn thing.

"Sorry Jack," Mox grunted, putting it away again and pushing it back far out of hands reach, "You and me need to start seein' other people. But only for a while, okay? We're officially on a break."

Shuffling into the lounge space he flopped down heavily, bouncing on the worn out springs of the chair. Realistically he needed to follow his sister, make up the couch and get some damn rest, but he strongly doubted that it would be that simple. He was still too pumped, still twitchy and fired up.

Instead he settled for some good old channel surfing, with the sound on mute and the picture lighting up the room. It was interesting trying to watch TV without the talking and to amuse himself, he made the conversations up.

"I'm sorry Mister Robinson, the surgery was unsuccessful and we couldn't reattach your twin brother's severed head. _Oh no, what am I gonna tell father_? Well we ran the DNA. Your brother wasn't his."

It was actually a pretty fun game he had dreamt up but it ended pretty swiftly when Katie let out a yelp, the noise startling Mox clean up off the sofa and across the room to see if anything was up.

"Squeaker?"

She didn't answer, her eyes still squeezed shut which Mox took to mean his kid sister was still asleep. She was frowning though, her little face all scrunched up and she was murmuring to herself in what was obviously a dream.

" _No_ ," she murmured, " _Mmmm_ – _nuh – don't like it_."

The longer it went on the more distressed she got, turning her head left and right in dissention and even squeezing out a few sleep tears as well. Clearly it was not just a dream it was a nightmare and so reaching out towards her, Mox gave her a little shake.

"Katie? Squeaker?"

She opened her eyes slowly, frightened breaths tearing from her fluttering little chest.

"M-Mox?" she whispered,

"Yeah, s' just me Munchkin."

"I – I was dreaming that mom took me back again and I was shouting and shouting but she still made me go and you weren't there so you couldn't stop her and – and – ,"

She broke off with a little choke, the noise somewhere midway between sobbing and retching and making Mox's heart break into a million jagged rocks.

"Hey, _sssh_. It was just a crappy nightmare. She's not here, alright? I'm not lettin' her drag you off."

"P-promise?" Katie whispered. Mox nodded back at her, lowering her onto the sheets once more,

"Promise Squeaks, it's just you an' me now."

"C-can you sleep with me?"

Mox blinked back down, snorting softly at the hope in her expression and kicking his treads off in response,

"Sure I can."

Dropping himself sideways on the mattress, he let his sister wiggle herself back, pressing into his chest for security, pulling Catsup closer and then shutting her weary eyes. In less than a minute she was dead to the world again, with her older brother not far behind.

He'd done it now though. He'd promised she could stay with him.

Jon Moxley was nothing if not a man of his word.

* * *

 **So, who feels his decision is going to go really well with no repercussions whatsoever? Show of hands? Okay. Now who feels it might be slightly tougher than that? All of you? Alright. Tune back in on Tuesday to find out!**


	5. Of Phonecalls And Astraphobia

**Me again! I do hope I'm not giving people posting fatigue. Don't know what happened but I'm in a writing/posting groove of late! Anyway, here are the first of the chapters detailing Katie's new life living with Mox.**

 **Skovko, I figure it was probably one of his more serious relationships, so it would have been rude for him to cut Jack off without a proper explanation (#manners).**

 **RedRose85, Oh yes, Mom and Doug are always in the background somewhere in this story, including this chapter (just a little bit!)**

 **Horrorxlunatic, Aww, thanks!**

 **Rebel8954, I hope you think it's still great by the end (fingers crossed) but yeah, thought I'd switch things up by having a bit of Mox in this one! Dean has had all the love so far!**

 **Psion53, He is definitely going to find it hard to look after her but it won't stop him trying to take care of her, bless his heart!**

 **Sammii Vega, My best friend's five year old is wiser than her years too. It's like sitting with a bouncy little eighty year old!**

 **Mandy, I feel your pain, I'm sick now too (damn contagious co-workers) but for some reason that seems to make me write** _ **more**_ **readily, so I guess it's like the old saying about every cloud! Glad you're loving it so much still!**

* * *

 **\- 5 -**

 **Of Phonecalls and Astraphobia.**

Over the next two days their mother called a lot. Pretty much on the hour _every_ damn hour. Mox didn't pick up – he had nothing to say to her – but the voice messages she left said everything and more, veering between tearful, drunken and angry or sometimes a psychedelic mix of all three.

He didn't let on to Katie that she was calling them, or ranting or threatening to come and haul her back and in response the little girl began to sort of _flourish_. She was happy and giggling and almost _refreshed_ looking, like she was free from carrying the weight of the world. Mox didn't need a reason to dismiss the calls, but if he _had_ then that fact alone would have been it.

The third day however, was when their mother got smart. Well, not _smart_ – that wasn't ever very likely from a woman who was a dating a fucking _paedophile_ – but slightly more savvy when it came to making contact and the first time she did it, Mox was fooled.

He was sitting on the sofa watching his last match back, with his earphones in place to seal in the cheers. Katie was hunched over the kitchen table colouring and getting so into it that her _tongue_ was poking out. It was a dark day with thick cloud cover that had been building since lunchtime and Mox figured they were probably due a shower at some point. His attentions were suddenly diverted however by the unexpected ringing of his phone.

 _Incoming Call._

 _Unknown Number…_

Mox frowned a little, not sure who was phoning him, but an unannounced call wasn't _totally_ strange. In his line of work there were always people calling, ringing to sound him out for a gig somewhere – a promoter, a fellow wrestler, a friend of a friend.

Shrugging his earphones out he answered it, in his customarily lazy sounding tones,

"Yeah?"

"Jonny, y' need to bring ma' baby back."

Mox bit a groan down and pinched his brow.

 _Crap._

His eyes found out Katie still coloring at the table, her little feet swinging back and forth like she was peddling and every single inch of her just looking _calm_. There was no way in hell he was spoiling her moment and so he tried to talk normally while at the same time sounding vague.

"Can't talk right now."

"The hell you _can't_ Jonny. Kidnap. That's what this is. I know my rights."

She had clearly been drinking – what a shocker _that_ was – and her tone was both indignant, disgusted and shrill. There was a chance that if he let her rant on much longer then Katie might be able to hear her across the room and so he let out a sigh and stood from the sofa before stalking to the door,

" _Fine_ ," he grunted, covering the cell phone and shooting his curious sister a look, "Business call Squeaker, I'm 'a take this out here, 'kay? You just carry on colorin', alright?"

His mother, meanwhile had continued her angry ranting which Mox only realized as he stepped into the hall. She was midway through some sort of nervous breakdown when he put the phone back up to his ear and was spewing such bile there was an actual moment where he briefly wondered if she hadn't been possessed,

"Good for nothin', fuckin' thief _asshole_. Takin' what's mine. Y' hear me? She's _mine_."

"Hey," Mox barked before lowering his voice again, "Don't try an' blame this fuckin' shit storm on me. You were there the other night, you saw what happened. Your asshole boyfriend was gettin' naked _in her room_. Tell me, what d'ya think he was plannin' on doin' after he'd got his clothes off?"

"Nothin'," his mother hissed, seemingly outraged at the mere suggestion but able to offer very little in defence, "Doug's a great guy, he – he's _nice_ to me."

"Yeah? Well he'd like to be _nice_ to your baby as well."

To him it was fairly incontrovertible, but his mother on the other hand seemed to lose her shit fast.

" _No_ Jon, no. That isn't – he wasn't – he was drunk, alright? _Drunk_ , that's all."

"So what about the fact that Katie's seen him lookin'? What about him makin' her feel scared?"

There was a pause, then a cough, like she was trying to find an answer although they both knew there wasn't one. Well, not one that would _work_.

"She's a kid, alright? She doesn't know what she's sayin' – ,"

"Really? Because _she_ seems pretty damn sure and we already know the kid's crazy clever. I mean, she's been puttin' up with your crap long enough to know if somethin' is rotten in Denmark or not."

"Denmark?"

"It's Shakespeare," Mox huffed, "Read a damn book."

Of course _he_ only knew the quote because he'd heard it in a film once and decided to Google it, but she wasn't to know. He wasn't even sure if he was trying to piss her off with it but either way it seemed to work.

"Jumped up lil' shit – ,"

"Nice, speak like that in front a' Katie?"

"Oh like _you_ don't cuss?"

"I'm not her mom."

" _Exactly_ ," she shrieked back, seeing an opening, "That's why she needs t' be with me."

"Has Doug gone?"

"What?"

"Y' heard me," Mox growled, spitting it out again, snapping each word, "Is that asshole gone?"

There was a long pause in which it swiftly became apparent that their mother was trying to think up a lie, which meant that when she finally came out with something, it was so pathetic sounding that Mox bit back a laugh.

"Yeah, yeah, he – uh – I made him leave yesterday."

Her son drew a breath in,

"So this _isn't_ his phone?"

"Uh – no?"

"You are so full 'a bullshit."

"Jonny, listen – ,"

"No, you listen to _me_. You ain't gettin' Katie back again, y' hear that? You ain't even _seein'_ your daughter until you let that bastard go. It's him or it's Katie. Y' don't get to have both here. So until I know he's outta there, she's stayin' with me."

"Jon – ,"

"Forget it. _She's stayin' with me_."

Suddenly his mother broke off with a snuffle and the next thing he knew he could hear drunken hiccupped tears. There was a fumbling on the line and the sound of hushed voices, then Doug – _fucking Doug_ – tried to get himself involved.

"Jon is it son? Or is it Mox? I'm confused here."

His voice was scratchy and pinched and pathetic but he was trying to come across like he was the big macho man. There was something cavalier and almost mocking in his opening, as if he wasn't remotely fazed when Mox could tell he clearly was.

"Call me whatever the hell you like. That's what I've been doin' with you. Tell me, do you prefer asshole or pedophile? Figure it's only right I let you help me choose."

There was a momentary silence, then a flicker of anger,

"You've got a fucking nerve – ,"

"Nope, that'd be all you. Like when you tried to crawl into bed with my sister when I was stood ten fuckin' feet down the hall. Like every time you made fuckin' _eyes_ at her like she was some cheap slut. She's fuckin' _seven years old_."

 _That_ got him. Pretty quickly he started stuttering, although whether from being rumbled or just angry he couldn't tell.

"I w-would _never_ – ,"

"Save it for the cops, alright? I figure that's who you're gonna threaten to call. Report me for kidnappin', that about the size of it? Tell me, how well d'ya think that'd go for you? Think you'd come off well when they go diggin' through your history? Maybe go through your browser to see what you like online? If you've got any fuckin' brain here, when _she_ tries to call the law in, you'll talk her out of it and you'd better hope for your sake you do a good job. Because if someone comes over here and tries to take her off me, I'll be tellin' them everythin' – fuckin' _everythin'_ – about you."

The deathly silence that echoed down the phone at him made Mox grin wickedly. Take _that_ dick. It felt nice to get some retribution for Katie – not _punch him in the face_ nice – but a start all the same. Somewhere in the background his mother was still ranting, but Mox didn't pay much attention to that. Instead he stood grinning, waiting for an answer. Except he didn't get one.

The phonecall cut off.

"Yeah," Mox snorted, "That's what I _thought_ you'd say. Run asshole, run away and hide."

For a second Mox continued to stand in the corridor, sucking deep breaths in and calming himself down. There was no point in going back to Katie still pumping. She needed to think that everything was fine. Overhead there was a sudden loud crackle of thunder, like _directly_ overhead, so that it made the building shake. Abruptly rain began to lash the far window and huffing out a sigh, Mox stepped back inside.

The apartment was empty, she was nowhere in sight.

"Squeaker? _Shit_. Katie?"

His brain went crazy. Had his mother somehow discovered his apartment and sent somebody in to snatch Katie off? All at once he felt sick and powerless and _frantic_ as he careered around the furniture, his heart pounding in his ears.

 _Shit, shit._

"M-Mox?"

The sound of her voice stopped him, sending him cluelessly spinning around.

"Squeaks? Where are you Kiddo?"

Her head popped up warily and he realized that she was squeezed between the wall and the bed. Her big blue eyes were as wide as god damn saucers and her expression was tearful and completely terrified. It took a second, but Mox slowly realized. She didn't like storms. One bit. Never had.

"Hey," he soothed, crossing towards the bedroom and squatting down beside her, "Nothin' to worry about, alright? Mox's here now. I'll protect ya'. Wanna come out for me?"

"No," Katie shook her head,

"Yes y' do," Mox cooed gently, taking her arm and drawing her out. He guided her onto his lap and she moved willingly, folding back against him as he wrapped his arms in tight, "See? That's better."

"I – I don't like it, it's t-too loud."

"Yeah, but you an' me are tucked up safe here Kiddo. 'Sides, nothin' wrong with a good ol' bit a' thunder. Even nature's gotta get pissed off at times. Probably sick of people jammin' up the oceans and droppin' trash and cuttin' down all the forests an' stuff."

"Yeah," Katie sighed, turning her head against his hoodie and tracing her pinky finger over the zip, "Or maybe killin' animals."

" _Exactly_ ," Mox kissed her, dropping his lips down onto her crown and then holding them there, letting her know she was fine, "I promise you Squeaker, you're safe with me here, alright? Not gonna let anythin' get its hands on you."

He wasn't just talking about the storm front either. He meant it literally.

Nothing and no one.

* * *

 **So, cute times for Katie and Mox although in the next chapter things go a bit pear-shaped again. See you lovely folks on Thursday!**


	6. Mom Tries Again

**So, since the title of this chapter is pretty self-explanatory I won't say anything else other than...enjoy!**

 **RedRose85, I hate them too, especially lightning. The house across the hill from me took a direct hit and caught fire last year so now I live in fear of them. What I really need (in my opinion) a cuddly Mox to keep me calm!**

 **Psion53, Cool but pissed of Mox is probably my new favourite thing. I like it when he's all snarky. But yeah, as ever, it's not the last of Doug and as for Mom, well, here she is…**

 **Sammii Vega, Funny you should mention the timelapse, because** _ **sort of**_ **is the answer, although not completely all the way to him being in The Shield or on the roster. Kinda don't want to give away more than that, so you'll just have to keep reading (although I guess a sequel might always work in that respect too? Food for thought anyway!)**

 **Mandy, I'm doing okay, just fighting my way through it. Can't take the day off though as too busy at work (what a trooper, right?!) Anyway, glad I got your spidey senses tingling as to when I'm going to post and that you're still enjoying it. This chapter is more dramatic though, so hold onto your hat(s)!**

 **Skovko, Of course it was for you and also because there just isn't enough Shakespeare in wrestling fanfictions (I'm joking on that!) Plus I just liked the idea that Mox might know a line or two of Shakespeare for no apparent reason. Not sure why. I figure he's the type of guy that might surprise you and that would be one way to do it for sure!**

 **Charbrose, Thank you so much for such a lovely review. I just had a sudden urge to write a sibling story one day and it refused to leave me alone! Super happy you're liking it so much. Fingers crossed the rest is up to scratch!**

 **Guest, Welcome to the party! Thank you for your review. I'm so happy that so many people seem to be enjoying this crazy little idea of mine. Here's the next one, hope you like it!**

* * *

 **\- 6 -**

 **Mom Tries Again.**

The biggest problem as far as Mox could figure it, was the fact that Katie was missing out on school. Not a whole lot – it had been four days in total – but since the future and his plans for them were sketchy, he didn't know how much she was going to have to skip. He couldn't risk letting her go in as normal – no way, their mother would be waiting for that – but neither could he let her education go down the shitter. So he did the one thing he _could_ do.

He took her shopping for books.

As it turned out there were a _lot_ of home schooling texts, ranging from arithmetic to fucking _astronomy_. Katie had leafed through them all with keen interest but in the end they'd settled on three – maths, science and literacy, the _the big hitters_ – along with some paper and assorted pens and pencils to recreate the school vibe in Mox's single room. For him the prospect of studying was anathema but Katie was positively _skipping_ with glee, barely able to contain her excitement about getting home and cracking out a fraction or two. Some days he swore it was like they weren't really related, but it was nice spending time with her and doing what normal folk would do.

Their second port of call was the swanky looking cell phone place, which positively made Katie burst with elation as he swung her in through the sliding glass doors. Clearly she'd forgotten his earlier promise and so the look on her face made Mox grin down at her.

"What color you want Squeaker?"

She clapped her hands,

"Purple."

Moxley nodded,

"Purple it is."

The phone they settled on – with help from the vendor since neither of them knew what the hell they were looking for – was simple and no frills in terms of internal process, but could ring people, came in purple and had a flippy-up part. Neither was it all that horribly expensive which was important for a wrestler who had barely paid off his car and so Mox had shrugged and handed over the money before passing the box across to the squealing girl.

"No excuses for not ringin' me now, right? You're ever in trouble, you pick that up and call."

Katie had nodded, her blue eyes solemn,

"Uh huh, I promise – I _promise_ I will. Thank you Mox, this is the best day _ever_."

Mox grinned but there was a bitterness behind it. _This_ was her best day? Poor kid, what a life.

They had finished their morning of old fashioned retail therapy by stopping off for a sundae apiece, with Moxley choosing a cookie dough caramel and Katie a chocolate and banana cream split.

"Okay Squeaker, so what is a verb?"

At some point Mox had pulled out the workbooks, figuring it was never too early to start. In response to him Katie licked the cream off her sundae spoon and frowned just a little,

"Um, it's a _doing_ word, you know, like – uh – _run_ or _walk_ or – ,"

"Wrestle?"

Katie giggled and took another bite,

"Yep."

"Alright then genius, what is an adjective?"

Her brow screwed up,

"Um, uh, I forgot that one."

Mox's eyes scanned down towards the bottom where the answers were clustered for the home educator to read. The chances were if they went through the books together, he would possibly be able to pass his GED. Maybe there were benefits to the whole _home study_ deal. If not for Katie then at the very least for him.

"Says here it's a _describin'_ word, like black or brainy or beautiful – stuff like that."

"Oh, okay," Katie nodded back at him, taking her last mouthful and then pushing her plate away.

"You all done?"

"Uh huh, that was _amazing_."

Mox grinned,

"Glad to hear it. So, wanna go home and try an' work out your new phone?"

Her little face – which had already been pretty close to blissful – lit up even more at the thought of her new cell and she actually started to bounce on the seat a bit, grinning like an idiot,

"Please, please, please."

"Alright," Mox snorted, "Just let me get the bill Squeaks. Can't go off without payin' our tab. You need to use the bathroom before we get outta here?"

Katie paused,

"Uh, yes."

"Better go now then," Mox waved a hand her, "I'll be right out here, come straight back, okay?"

His sister nodded as she slid from the booth, pushing Catsup into her brother's arms. He took it reluctantly, quirking a brow at her and she giggled and then turned and skipped away.

The past few days with Mox had been perfect. Katie hadn't felt so happy in years. Well, maybe not years, since she wasn't very old yet but she was definitely happier than she _felt_ she had been. She loved her mother – you were _supposed_ to love your parents – but she just didn't like her or trust her sometimes. Their mom spent a lot of her time drunk or smoking and that had got a _lot_ worse since she'd been with Doug. She still didn't understand why the older man had stripped his pants off but then people got _silly_ when they were drunk. Not that it mattered since she was with Mox now. She trusted he would protect her. She trusted everything he said. Her older brother had always been her favourite and she knew in turn she had always been his. He'd been on the road a lot over the last few years and she had missed him but that was all going to change. Mox had told her she could stay with him and as long as that happened then everything would work out.

There were a couple of other women in the bathroom, who smiled at her as she hopped in merrily through the door and were still there chatting once she was done. One of them even helped her reach the faucet and then beamed at her broadly as Katie had said _thanks_. Once they were sure she was okay they left her but the door swung again as someone else stepped in behind. Katie wasn't really paying much attention, too busy humming out a happy little tune but as she turned towards the dryers she bumped into them bodily and glanced up before gasping in horror,

"M- _mom_?"

"Hey baby girl."

Her mother was grinning down at her, bleached blonde hair in wild disarray and her eye make-up smudged and trailing down her cheekbones like she had rubbed it or possibly been out in the rain. She was wobbly on her feet and smelt like stale cigarettes but the really, really strong ones that Doug used to smoke. Katie stepped back in instinctive uncertainty and glanced towards the door with a little gulp of nerves. The older woman seemed to know instantly and moved in closer,

"No, no, don' be scared. Not gonna hurt you baby. Never gonna hurt you. I'm here to save you from your brother, okay?"

Katie shook her head,

"I don't want saving. I – I want to stay with Mox."

Her mother's expression darkened quickly and something like a sneer came over her face,

"No baby, no, you're mine – you're _my_ baby. You have to – you have to come with me. Been watchin' you all mornin', friend of mine called me and said she'd seen you out. Been waitin' for the right moment to getcha away from him. Come on baby, Doug's got the car out front."

As she spoke she wrapped a hand round Katie's elbow and slowly began to tow her towards the door. At the mention of Doug however the small girl froze instantly and whimper of fear bubbled up in her throat.

"No, I don't want to. Please don't make me."

Her mother was pretty much as drunk as she'd seen her and her grip was so tight she was hurting Katie's arm. The youngster's heart was beating fiercely and she was swallowing her way past a great big growing lump. Hot tears were starting to prick at her lashes and her blood was pumping so hard she wanted to throw up. She squirmed, trying to make herself harder to handle, but her mother didn't falter, just pulled her along.

They bumped into another woman coming through the doorway, who frowned in offence as they simply pushed by. Her eyes cast over Katie in suspicion and then back up to the girl's dishevelled looking mom. Clearly they made for an odd little picture and one that wasn't normal. But she didn't say a word, instead she simply continued frowning as Katie cried out plaintively.

"Let go of me, _no_."

"Hush up, come on."

The one saving grace – and major flaw to the strategy – was that in dragging her off they had to cross the diner floor and so as the older woman tried to weave through the tables, Katie looked up and was able to call out.

" _Mox_ – ,"

It was pretty much a scream of desperation and hearing it, her brother looked round then shot up. The second he clued into what the hell was happening his expression tracked straight through astonishment then to fight and in the time it took to blink he was sprinting towards them, calling out roughly,

" _Hey_. Get away from her."

"Jonny?"

Their mother seemed genuinely startled, like she'd forgotten he was there or else had not banked on a fight. It made Mox even _more_ angry than he had been. What did she expect? He would let her drag Katie off? The sight of his sister trying to wriggle herself loose again was pretty much the last fucking straw and as he stamped in closer, he could feel his anger rising like a red tinted waterfall or a gathering storm. The thing that stopped it was Katie getting free at last and twisting her elbow from her mother's tight grasp. The moment she did she was pelting across the floor tiles and towards her older brother's awaiting outstretched arms.

" _Katie_."

Mox ignored – they _both_ ignored – the yelling and he instead scooped his sister up and pulled her in close. She was crying in shaking, terrified little hiccups and almost more than anything, that broke his damn heart.

"Alright Squeaker, alright, I gotcha. You're safe now, alright? I gotcha, you're safe."

" _No Jon_ ," the scream cut across the shop floor at them, making every non-clued-in diner look up, "No she's mine – she's _mine_ , you can't have her. You _stole_ her from me. You give her back."

Mox tensed himself and held Katie tighter, he was bigger than his mother so that wasn't the fear. The problem was the damn fucking scene she was creating. The last thing he wanted was for someone to call the cops. He knew that there was no way a judge would let him keep her but their mother was not a safe option at all. If Katie was lucky she would end up with their sister but if not then in foster care or a fucking children's home. No way could Moxley let that happen but first he had to get their mother to go.

"Leave her alone," he ground out darkly, lacing it with every ounce of hatred he possessed, "I'm warnin' you, y' hear me? You don't get to touch her."

"Fuck you," their mother spat, drawing an angry murmur as gaping nearby diners overheard. Katie shivered in terror against him and Mox bumped her up a little higher in his arms.

"I'm warnin' you, get outta here."

His mother snorted,

"Why don' you make me?"

But before he could do that, someone else spoke up.

"Go on, you heard him. You need to get out of here before I'm forced to call the police. I saw you dragging her away. She was crying. Whoever you are, she doesn't want to go with you."

When Katie looked up she was startled to see that the woman from the bathroom had moved in close. Their mother also seemed taken aback by it, because she turned around unsteadily to continue the new brawl.

"Who the hell are you to talk t' me like that? I'm her _mother_ – ,"

"It doesn't _look_ like you are. She looks like she doesn't want anything to do with you."

"Listen, bitch. It's none a' your business."

Someone gently tapped Mox's arm,

"Sir?"

A waiter from the diner was hovering beside him, letting the war of words rage on. At some point he had managed to collect their things together and was holding out their assorted belongings and shopping bags. On seeing Catsup, Katie snatched him tearfully and tucked him safely underneath her arm. Mox blinked down at the guy,

"Uh, thank you."

The waiter jerked his head to one side,

"Come with me."

"Uh – ,"

For a second Mox assumed he was taking them to a back room, to wait until the police arrived. Fortunately however, as he tried to turn him down somehow, he clarified the offer.

"We've got a back way out."

Mox's eyes lit up and he took back their shopping before turning and following the waiter through the crowd. Somewhere in the distance their mother was still shouting as was the woman who had come to their aid. A part of Moxley – okay, a really _big_ part – wanted to be having the argument himself but compared to getting Katie out of there to safety it paled in comparison. It was going to have to wait. They emerged out into a back exit of the shopping mall, next to the lot where their car was parked up. Mox gaped slightly, surprised by the shortcut, but when he turned back again the waiter merely smiled, clearly not needing any form of gratitude although Mox thanked him regardless of that.

Their mother may still have been inside and screaming, but Mox knew that probably wasn't going to last and so he cut through the stationary cars like a race horse, juggling their wares as he searched for his keys. Katie was still crying into his shoulder but he could comfort her later as soon as they were gone. It didn't stop him from soothing her however and he shushed her gruffly,

"It's alright Squeaker, let's get you home."

The events had marked a brand new chapter. He now knew their mother was prepared to stoop low. From that point on he would keep Katie close to him. He wasn't letting her go _anywhere_ alone.

* * *

 **So, Momma Moxley is pretty shameless then (and also pretty drunk, as is par for the course!) In the next chapter it's Catsup who ends up in danger. Be there or be square!**


	7. Catsup Nearly Meets A Sticky End

**Yes, that's right, I'm doing the unthinkable in this one and placing everyone's favourite stuffed cat in harm's way. He's tough though, so he'll be fine. Probably. Okay,** _ **sort of**_ **. Well, alright, maybe not.**

 **RedRose85, The fact that their mother looks like the villain to total strangers definitely helped! Plus I like to think that when there's a child involved people are slightly more willing to step up.**

 **Skovko, Pretty sure he would definitely love to keep her with him, but it isn't that easy (nothing ever is, well, at least not when I'm on the keyboard! I do love throwing those spanners in the works!)**

 **Psion53, Also lucky that their mother wasn't smart enough to think about having to take her back out. Lesson of the day, don't drink before lunchtime, otherwise you might end up like Mox and Katie's mom!**

 **Irishfan62, No actual cameos in this one (sorry) as I wanted to keep it mostly Katie and Mox. I kind of felt like things would expand if I brought in others and I liked the idea of this being a really little story (not in terms of size but in feel I guess). And yes, I do dare, no one is safe in this fic, not even Catsup! *Dramatic music* Dun, dun, dunnnnn….**

 **Mandy, Oooh, good luck on hearing back from the interview, glad I could help with settling the nerves/celebrating afterwards! A bt of Dean/Mox makes everything better!**

 **Sammii Vega, Ooh, don't get me started on ice cream. It might be cold here, but it's never too cold for ice cream! Glad you're still enjoying reading. This chapter officially marks the halfway mark.**

* * *

 **\- 7 -**

 **Catsup Nearly Meets A Sticky End.**

Taking Katie out on the road with him was by no means ideal. He knew that. But as with the school deal he had no other options. It was literally the only way he knew to keep her safe. On top of that, the first three times they tried it, the whole thing went off without a single hitch. Mox would find Katie a quiet room backstage someplace, give her some workbooks then go off and hit the ring. The weirdest part was not partying hard afterwards, which – if he was honest – was kind of his thing. But even _that_ was okay because he had responsibilities. His mantra was simple.

 _I am not our mom._

In fact, their first few nights out making towns together was so successful that Mox got sucked in. He was alive with self-confidence and the belief that he could do it. Somehow he was making the whole _Katie thing_ work.

That came crashing down around his ears however – _heavily_ – on the fourth night, in Lakewood in front of an _almost_ home crowd.

He had set Katie up in a side room as usual and found the promoters to let them know she was there. When asked he had been saying their mother had just had surgery and he was helping out for a little while until her strength returned. Fortunately due to the nature of wrestling and his transient status, no one questioned things much and for the most part merely shrugged and told him to keep her back there, which wasn't a problem since Katie did what she was told. So it was with the show-runner in Lakewood, who sighed a little then flapped his hand,

"Fine. Just promise me she won't cause any trouble for us."

Mox shook his head,

"She's got school work to do. Plus she's basically the best kid ever. Trust me, she's as good as gold."

"I'll hold you to that Moxley."

"Whatever makes you happy man."

"Don't make me regret this."

"Cross my heart. I won't."

At the time it had been a perfectly apt expression but maybe in hindsight, probably not.

He had kept Katie with him in the locker room area until the other wrestlers had started to filter in, some of them already out of it on substances growing twitchy as they waited for the matches to begin. At that point Mox took her off down the corridor, to a tiny little room with a table and chair. He spread out her books, put down her pencils and gave her a look,

"Y' gonna be alright in here?"

Katie nodded, perfectly happy, her little feet swinging,

"Uh huh. I'm good."

Mox had snorted,

" _That's_ my Munchkin," then he had leaned in and kissed her on the head, "Be back as soon as my match is done, alright Squeaks? You stay in here. Don't go anywhere."

Katie shook her head,

"I won't, I promise. Oh and Mox?"

"Yeah?"

"Kick the guy's ass."

Moxley left the room chuckling fondly while debating the merits of letting her use the word. Technically he probably should have given her a scolding her but _fuck_ it was cute, not to mention funny as hell. Besides which they were just a kind of all-round _sweary_ family. There was little to no point in denying the genetic trait. As long as she stuck with cutesy things like _ass_ though. Anything worse and he would come down like a truck. Or maybe a car, like, one of those compact little ones that people stereotypically drove in European films.

The match-up itself, when he finally got out there, wasn't a whole lot to write home about. It was good enough sure and the crowd seemed to enjoy it but Mox came away from the whole thing feeling _meh_. His opponent was solid and a pretty nice performer but something about it had just seemed off. Still, he'd done enough to earn himself a paycheque and so at the very least he and Katie could score some grub. He was halfway down the corridor, still sweaty and pumped for action when he thought he heard Katie's shrill little voice rang out. He stopped and shook his head trying to zone out the crowd noise but it was difficult over the drunken sounding cheers.

"Rip his face off."

"Pin him. _Pin him_."

Mox frowned and moved a little further down the hallway, away from the thin curtain that partitioned off the crowd. He could no longer hear anything that sounded like Katie, so it was totally possible that he was starting to go mad. Taken one too many knocks to the headspace, glanced off the ring post too many times. It wasn't Katie – couldn't be anyway – she was doing her homework like a good little girl. Although as he sauntered in the direction of the locker room, from a little way off, he heard it again.

"No, stop it. Give him back."

 _Shit._

That was Katie, no bones about it and what was more she sounded upset. Her tones were pinched in panicky frustration and her voice was way higher than it usually was.

" _No_."

Instantly Mox put on a burst of speed towards her, his wrestling boots squeaking on the cold linoleum floor. He burst past the locker room – the anger already building at the thought of somebody messing with his kid – and rounded the corner with a growl of anticipation, calling her name out,

"Squeaker?"

" _Mox_."

Before he'd had time to process the situation, Katie was flying in – _fast_ – his way. Her long brown hair flapped wildly behind her and there were tears in her blue eyes that her brother didn't like. She charged in fiercely and grabbed at his fingers, needing to ground herself against someone she could trust.

"Hey, what's this?" Mox grumbled, "What's wrong Squeaks?"

"He – he's got Catsup and he won't g-give him b-back."

To emphasize her point, she pointed behind her and Moxley frowned deeply and then looked up. About ten feet away there was a guy in the corridor, grinning like an idiot and holding something up. That something was dirty brown and pretty damn threadbare. That _something_ was also Katie's favorite fucking toy. Mox's expression darkened exponentially,

"Hey, give it back man."

The other guy shook his head and cackled loudly,

"Nope."

Not a good start.

"She's just a fuckin' kid."

"So?"

It was pretty damn obvious from the outset the guy was wasted, although Mox still didn't have a clue who he was. Probably some new guy brought in for a dark match, fresh out of the minor leagues who thought they were a boss. The man himself seemed lean yet still muscular, but no way _near_ enough jacked to be such an ass. His gaze was wandering without settling around the corridor and he was giggling to himself but it was a smug sound as well. A sound that delighted in having made a kid cry. Only this one wasn't just some random spectator's kid, as stoned guy was unfortunately about to find out.

Pushing Katie behind him, Mox stepped in closer,

"I _said_ give it back to her now and I meant it. Not like I'm not givin' you fair warnin' here man. You got five seconds. Don't make me lose my shit tonight. You do _not_ want me to start countin', alright?"

Stoned Guy wobbled like he might topple over then suddenly threw his head back and laughed. At the same time he shifted his grip to Catsup's tail while holding the body tight in his other hand. Mox knew in a second what was going to happen and he stepped forwards warningly,

"Hey man, _don't_ – ,"

But even before he'd got the damn words out, there was an audible ripping noise as the well-loved seams broke. Somewhere behind him Katie screamed, horrified and then Catsup – both pieces – was tossed towards his toes. Mox stepped over it, not even blinking, his expression as dangerous as his furious tones.

"You crazy fuckin' asshole."

He spat that one sentence before his anger took over and he launched at the guy's throat, wrapping his larger hands in around the windpipe and using the momentum to slam him back against the wall. Stoned Guy's head ricocheted off the brickwork and he yelped a little in a desperate search for air. His trashed hands scrabbled around Mox's collarbone, sliding about on the still-sweaty skin. At one point he tried to gouge at his eyeball, but Mox shrugged the hand off and tightened his grip again.

" _Can't_ – _breathe_ – ,"

"Yeah? Go cry me a fuckin' river. This is what you get for pickin' on a kid. What the hell's wrong with you? What were you doin'? Because guess what jackass? I won't let you pull that shit again. I ever see you messin' with my sister, I'll make sure this not breathin' is a _permanent_ thing. Do you understand me?"

The guy gasped,

" _Can't_ – ,"

" _Say it_. Do you understand me?"

As a tear squeezed from his eye, the guy nodded weakly, falling away as Mox suddenly dropped him down. At some point a small crowd had gathered in around them, including the promoter who blinked at him,

"The _fuck_ Mox?"

No doubt he was going to be in trouble for _that_ one but in the moment – still surging – he didn't give a crap. Instead he turned and headed back towards his sister, who was bawling her eyes out by Catsup's body on the floor. It was almost like she was scared stiff to even _touch_ him, in case she might end up hurting him some more. The whole fucking scene was pretty heart-wrenching. He and the damn cat were the majority of her world. Yet there her best friend lay, newly tail-less and her total howling anguish was almost more than he could bear.

"Squeaks? Hey, it's alright, okay? We'll fix him."

Ducking down beside her he brushed a hand through her hair, sweeping back the wispy brown wild little half-bangs that were starting to stick to her cheeks with all the tears.

"He's – he's _broken_."

"Nah, he's just a lil' torn up, all we need is a needle an' thread."

Around them the circle of wrestlers had fallen silent and for the most part they seemed as if they understood her pain. Certainly some of them were glaring at the stoned guy who was still gasping painfully, like Mox gave a shit. In the interim another pair of feet stepped in beside them and he looked up to find a woman with a sympathetic face.

"Hey, I've got some things in my bag. I can help you. Don't worry sweetie, he's gonna be fine."

Nodding in gratitude, Mox swept Katie up again, pulling her against his post-match sticky chest. She didn't seem to mind, she was still too busy howling and so Mox grabbed the toy and followed in the woman's wake. As he went his heart was hammering and his brain was screaming.

 _You messed up_.

Moving his lips until they were pressed against Katie's earlobe, he kissed her hair gently and murmured some words out, meaning them deeply and hoping she knew that.

"M' sorry I wasn't there Squeaks. M' sorry he got hurt."

* * *

 **Sorry Catsup but it had to be done. He's okay guys (sort of). The stuffed toy lives on!**


	8. In Which Mox's Other Sister Calls

**Shall we throw another family member into the mix? Do I hear a yes? Sure, why not?!**

 **RedRose85, Lesson for last chapter: never upset a wrestler's baby sister. I hope you took note and wrote that one down! You just never know when that might come in handy!**

 **Mandy, Last warm day? I think ours was in August. Winter's well and truly on it's way. I like that though, I like being all snuggly and wrapped up in front of the fire with pretty Christmas lights. Sorry you didn't have a very good day but I'm glad I could assist in cheering you up!**

 **Horrorxlunatic, I like hearing** _ **awes**_ **for this story. I was aiming to create something stupidly sweet! Thanks for the review.**

 **Sammii Vega, Anyone who hurts a defenseless stuffed toy is clearly a monster, I'm glad you agree! The weather is pretty unreliable here too and at this time of year it's impossible to know what to wear. Hot one minute, cold the next, rain then sun. It's hard to keep up!**

 **Skovko, When I was little I had a bright pink Care Bear. Still love that (no longer half as pink) thing! Plus Katie doesn't have a whole lot to cling onto, which is why it was especially cruel. Still nothing a sewing kit and some big brother comfort can't handle!**

 **Guest, Luckily mine never needed any surgery but I do regularly nowadays sew my dog's stuffed toys back up. Partly because I'm a massive cheapskate but also because they're really cute!**

 **Psion53, Yep, you hurt the toy you get hurt in turn, it's the rules of life! Some people just never learn!**

* * *

 **\- 8 -**

 **In Which Mox's Other Sister Calls.**

Katie was asleep beneath the covers when the phone rang, tucked up on one of the single motel beds. Catsup was pressed in tightly against her, the patch job on the tail luckily managing to hold up. It hadn't taken a whole lot of sewing but the traumatized youngster had been pretty shaken up, worried that somehow her prized possession would disintegrate or fall apart the minute she picked him up. To ham up and slightly lessen the sense of damage, Mox had wrapped a bandage around the join, drawing the first smile he'd seen from his sister since that no good fucking asshole had broken her down.

 _What the fuck?_

That was his main question and had been to the promoter as well, shouting the words as he paced around the office and more angry than he could put into words. The owner of the shit show had started off pissy but since Moxley had been murderous he had tempered his own rage. Eventually admitting that – yes – the other dude was an asshole but also stressing fiercely that choking was not an okay thing to do.

Mox had shrugged, prepared to take his punishment but standing firmly by it.

He would do it all again.

He had tried to get to the bottom of what had happened when he and Katie had been driving back to their motel, but his sister was still distraught about the _ripping_ and so had only answered in snuffly little tones. From what he could gather, Katie had done _nothing_ , she'd just been sitting getting her work done when the jackass had wandered in. He had snatched up Catsup then darted back out into the corridor and the rest was history.

Fucking _asshole_ of a man.

The promoter – despite his earlier assurances of _no trouble_ – had actually wound up taking their side. Stoned Guy had evidently been something of a gamble which judging from his actions had clearly not paid off. Thanks to the violence, Mox was definitely in their bad books and probably wouldn't get another gig for a few months but he hadn't blotted his copy page entirely so that was something.

He could get other jobs.

Putting Katie to bed had been difficult because despite the time lapse she had still been upset. Not only that but she had been damn _confused_ as well, unable to process what the hell had gone on.

"Why did he do it Mox?" she whimpered, cuddling Catsup close to her side, "Why did he hurt him?"

"Because he's an asshole. The guy was smokin' somethin' he shouldn't a' had and it made him go crazy. He wasn't thinkin' right. You didn't deserve it Squeaker and 'm sorry."

She frowned,

"What for?"

"For not bein' with you when he came bustin' in on ya'. You needed me Kiddo an' I wasn't there."

"It's alright," she sniffed, too fucking magnanimous as she absently stroked at the back of his hand, "It's not your fault. You got there in the end alright."

"Not soon enough Squeaks."

"Mox? Can we go home?"

Pushing himself up from his crouch beside the mattress, Mox leant in across his sister's motel bed, pressing a noisy kiss against her hairline and rubbing her back gently,

"In the mornin', 'kay? We're gone."

She had tossed and turned for a good while after that, huffing out breaths and murmuring in her sleep, but finally she had settled into something resembling peacefulness and that had allowed Mox to draw a breath as well.

Really, he felt like he needed the moment. The day – the whole _nineteen_ days – had been pretty fucking mad. Not that he regretted taking Katie in. Not slightly. But there was no denying that some parts of it were _hard_. His lifestyle wasn't cut out for having a munchkin, well, certainly not where he was right now. But what other option was even available? Katie _trusted_ him.

No way could he let her down.

His somewhat sluggish musings were interrupted by vibrations as his cell phone began to buzz on the bed. He cast his eyes over it, observing the number cautiously before groaning just a little.

 _Incoming Call_

 _Other Sis_

Sometimes he wondered if the woman was clairvoyant, with other-worldly powers that she used to read his mind. Because sure enough, whenever he started thinking a little crazy or teetering on the edge, she would suddenly call. The pair of them could go for months without talking – even a year at their longest, lowest point – but then the phone would suddenly start ringing and there she was, ready to offload her thoughts.

And _god_ did she always have a whole _lot_ of thoughts.

Picking the cell up, Mox debated answering, knowing that their mother would have somehow got in touch. Probably spouting some bullshit about kidnapping and child abduction and a million other things. Not to say his older sister would buy it – they both knew their parent all too well – but the thought of her wrestler brother with Katie on the road with him would have likely triggered a less than positive response.

Steeling himself and sucking a breath in, Mox answered shortly in hushed tones,

"Yeah?"

"What the hell were you thinking Jonny?"

 _Wow._

Look at that, not even two seconds in.

"What?"

"Don't play that game, you know _exactly_ what I'm talking about. You took Katie away from mom?"

Mox rolled his eyes,

"For god sakes, I _had_ to. She tell you what happened? M' guessin' probably not."

His sister sighed,

"She didn't have to tell me, it wouldn't matter, I already know it's nuts. Honestly Jon, you've done some crazy shit at times but this one might just beat the bunch. She's _seven years old_ and you've got her on the road with you? Don't tell me you haven't because I went over to your place. I swear to god if you've got her in some motel room – ,"

Mox cut in sharply,

" _Hey_ , calm down, alright?"

On the bed beside his, Katie stirred lightly and made a little whimper in her sleep. Mox reached out a hand and laid it on her soothingly, rubbing her shoulder beneath the sheets. Once he was sure that youngster was still out of it, he inched off the bed and tiptoed quickly across the room, shutting himself into the bathroom like a ninja and then dropped down onto the edge of the tub.

"How do you expect me to _calm down_ Jonny?"

Evidently his sister was still on a role, not that Mox was prepared to listen for much longer. He was tired of being made out to be the family asshole here.

"Mom's fuckin' boyfriend was gettin' naked in front of her."

There was a momentary pause of bewilderment,

"What?"

"Just what I said. He was takin' his pants off. _In her fuckin' bedroom_ in the middle of the night."

His sister blew out a breath of astonishment, finally seeming to come alongside,

"Shit."

"Katie says he's been lookin' at her funny, says he scares her and I can fuckin' see why. I couldn't just up and leave her there with him an' I'm _not_ takin' her back until that asshole is gone."

"This is that Doug guy, right?"

"That's the fucker."

"Jesus," she blew a breath out, "This is so messed up. I mean, even for our sucky family this is bad. Still, you know, you shouldn't have just _taken_ her. There are laws for this stuff Jon, I mean, Katie's missing school – ,"

Mox frowned hotly,

"No she isn't."

"What do you mean she isn't? So she's not there with you right now on the road?"

"You know she is," Mox rolled his eyes frustratedly, fucking hating it when she treated him like a kid, "But – I dunno – I bought her like a _bunch_ of home schoolin' stuff, so she's been doing that. Like maths and science an' crap."

There was a long break as his sister seemed to process _that_ information, finally letting out a surprised sounding huff.

"Wow, that's actually – that's actually impressive Jon."

"Thought I'd half-ass it?"

"No."

"Liar."

His sister sighed,

"Look, I know you care about Katie. The pair of you have always been thicker than thieves. But I still say she needs a stable environment and school books or not, I don't think that's with you. She needs routine and a sensible bed time, not hopping motels with you and being up 'til dawn."

Mox shut his eyes. Like he didn't already know that? But what the hell else was he supposed to do?

"I can't take her back there – I promised I'd protect her. Mom's already tried to snatch her back once. Came and grabbed her while she was in the restroom. Poor Squeaker's fuckin' _terrified_."

"I wasn't asking you to take her home."

Mox sucked a breath in,

"You mean stay with you, right?"

His sister cleared her throat,

"I mean, we'd need to make some room first, but think about it Jonny. I'm a stay-at-home mom now. I know what it takes to raise a child. You don't. If she was here she could run around and have fun with her nephews, she could keep on going to the school she's at now – ,"

They were all good suggestions and what was more, he knew it, but they just didn't work for him. He couldn't give her up. All her life people had been walking out on Katie, including their wayward mother as well. Mox was the one person who'd never forgotten her, who'd always made time for her, who made her feel _loved_. He knew all that, which was why he was so hesitant. What if moving her on messed that up?

"No."

He'd said the word before he even realized it, intoning it firmly but wearily as well. His sister stopped and heaved a little sigh out, sounding long-suffering,

"Come on Jonny – ,"

" _No_. Not yet, alright? I just – I can fix this. We're doin' okay here. Squeaker's happy. She's _fine_."

There was another slight pause before his sister spoke up again, but fortunately, when she did there was understanding in her voice. Clearly she seemed to know better than to push it, but her parting words weren't comforting, they were a forewarning note.

"You know where I am when things go wrong Jonny. Call me, I'll come and pick her right up."

"She's fine," Mox repeated, biting the words out, although who was he kidding? "Y' got that? It's all good."

* * *

 **Poor Mox, beginning to feel the pressures of parenting. I told him at the start it was going to be hard, but didn't he listen to me? Nope, he did not.**

 **Next chapter, Katie learns something about her big bro.**


	9. Regarding Feminism In The Workplace

**So, in this one Katie discovers (or** _ **thinks**_ **she discovers) an aspect of her brother she's not too sure about…**

 **RedRose85, I think I'm pretty guilty in this story for making Mox the big bad brother I always wanted to have! I've got a younger sister so I get some of what he's feeling but I grew up wishing I had an older brother too!**

 **Skovko, Oh absolutely, an** _ **I'm fine**_ **(especially if it's snapped) sets alarm bells off for sure. Never have two words usually meant the opposite more!**

 **Sammii Vega, Katie doesn't find out anything too dramatic in this one, or, well, maybe I should let you be the judge of that though?!**

 **Mandy, He is definitely the best big brother although he sometimes stumbles a little (see below). He always manages to make it all better though, in his own unique way!**

 **Psion53, Yeah, been a rough few weeks for Katie, but still, I like to think she's happier with her brother than back where she was, so every cloud and all that I guess!**

 **Horrorxlunatic, Glad you're still enjoying this, we're edging towards a bit more drama now, so strap yourself in!**

* * *

 **\- 9 -**

 **Regarding Feminism In The Workplace.**

Their first really difficult brother-sister conversation happened two days after the whole _Catsup thing_. As far as he could tell the stuffed critter was healing nicely, helped by his sister in full-force doctor mode. It was almost a weird silver lining to the ordeal, Katie's sudden interest in the medical world. Mox's hopes for her career were skyrocketing.

The kid would be a fucking surgeon for sure.

They were back in his crummy no-room apartment waiting for his next gig over the weekend. He wasn't going to lie, his coffers were looking empty and in any other month, he would've taken some bar work up. But he could hardly leave her alone to go work a night shift and no way would he take her to one. A wrestling show was bad enough.

But either way things were starting to look desperate and the phone call from his sister hadn't much helped. The worst thing about it was he knew she was right with it. She was damn well right about sending Katie to live with her. Their older sibling could give the Munchkin a million things he couldn't, like stability, regular schooling, her own bedroom.

But not love.

That was the incontrovertible truth of the matter because while the family as a whole loved Katie, including their mother – fucked up though that was – nobody loved her quite as much as he did and the same was true when flipped in reverse. No one loved Mox as much as his baby sister and that's why she was almost impossible to give her up.

Mox had spent the morning watching some of his recent matches back, picking apart the moves and the spots that had gone wrong. There weren't a whole lot of them – to the casual observer – but his keen eyes still saw them and took careful mental notes. No one had ever expected him to excel at stuff, far less have an actual _craft_. But there he was, a damn _scholar_ of wrestling looking to get better and better with every bout.

He had stopped around lunchtime to make them both some sandwiches. Cheese and pastrami, nothing too fancy. They didn't have the cash for anything showier than that. Katie had been sitting beside him at the table, those little legs still swinging as she got down to some work. Really it was pretty amazing how well she took to it. He didn't even have to _ask_ most of the time. All he did was tap at the cover and she would skip on over and open the thing up. The only downside to all her diligence was the marking, which he mostly just made-up. He was sure she'd got it right. As he got up to get them sustenance however, she glanced at him curiously and frowned,

"What's a tempest?"

Mox replied inarticulately,

"What?"

"A tempest," Katie repeated without faltering, pointing to her work book, "It says it right here."

"Uh, think it's kinda like a _storm_ or somethin', I dunno Squeaker. Laptop's there. Look it up."

He gestured towards the second hand Mac Pro with the knife he was using to chop the crusts off the bread. Partly because Katie didn't like eating them but mostly because they were starting to green. Some stand-in guardian _he_ was turning out to be, feeding the kid stuff that might make her sick. Beside him on the counter, his phone started buzzing, but he cancelled it skilfully when he saw the caller.

 _Incoming Call…_

 _Mom._

She had gone back to ringing every hour on the hour, so he had gone back to ignoring her again. She didn't know where he lived, he'd never told her and these days he was extremely grateful for that. It was bad enough just having her phoning him constantly, it would have been unbearable to just have her fucking _turn up_. His neighbours would probably have complained about her shouting, then the police would have come and taken Katie off. Mox didn't doubt his mother would get his address _somehow_ but until that happened it was fine as it was.

"Got an answer Squeaker?"

Katie nodded,

"Uh huh, a tempest is a virulent windy storm."

Mox grinned wryly,

"Think you mean _violent_."

"That's what I _said_ Mox."

"Nope, trust me Squeaker, you said somethin' else."

As his sister fell silent – no doubt reading about wind storms – Mox went back to cutting up bread, making sure Katie's was sliced into triangles the way that he'd liked them done when he was a kid. Once he was done he crossed back over to the table and Katie's little head shot up in vague alarm. Mox frowned at her,

"Everythin' alright Squeaks?"

She nodded back too eagerly,

"Yep, uh huh."

Since the youngster had squirmed across to his seat to see the laptop better, Mox took hers, using the opportunity to leaf idly through her school work and as usual the experience made him depressed. Clearly when it had come to sharing out brain cells, Katie had got the cream of the crop. His older sister wasn't quite the same level but she hadn't been a slouch at school by any means. He and their mother however were different, the two of them were _not_ the academic sort.

It took him a second to realize Katie was staring, studying him with a troubled expression on her face. Frowning again, Mox cocked his head towards her, tilting it like a dog.

"Okay. What's wrong?"

The answer caught him by surprise,

"I was thinking."

"Oh yeah? About what?"

"You – you should be nice to girls."

Mox stopped halfway through his second mouthful, his happily chewing jaw ceasing its movement up and down.

 _Nice to girls?_

"What does that mean Squeaker?"

Katie shrugged,

"You should just be nice. That's all."

It was as his eyes narrowed – confused – in her direction that Mox finally clued into what was on the screen. At some point in her excitement at looking up weather fronts, Katie had managed to snap back a page or two, landing on the shakily filmed video of his match-up. The match-up where he had knocked his opponent's valet around.

 _Shit._

Katie was kind of looking down at the table, picking at her sandwich instead of hoovering it up. That in itself was a red flashing warning. His skinny little sister never _ever_ turned food down. For a minute Mox couldn't quite figure her expression. Was it nervousness? Disappointment? Shock? Fucking _what_? Either way it wasn't a _good_ face, so Mox swallowed his mouthful and tried to make it right.

"Hey. What _that_? No, that was just a work Squeaks."

"What's a work?"

"Y'know, it was – like – _planned_. She knew from the start I was gonna be kinda _rough_ with her and she was okay with it."

Katie blinked,

"Why?"

She sounded small and utterly bewildered and he didn't blame her for being so lost. Doug was just the latest in a _string_ of shitty boyfriends, some of whom had beaten their mother as well. The last one who'd done that had been a couple years back, when Mox had still been living at home. He had come through the door one day to find his mother screaming and her boyfriend _whaling_ on her with a fucking wooden spoon. Katie had been locked away in a closet, thrown in there by the asshat who'd been putting welts on his mom. Mox had used his fists to remedy the matter and said asshole hadn't been seen round there again but for Katie the memory was still jagged and ugly and that particular ex-boyfriend had remained a silent _bogeyman_. It had taken weeks to tame her fear of the darkness. That closet had put her through a whole lot of shit. She'd been three years old and shut in the pitch black all the while hearing yelling and desperate screaming from their mom. Clearly the thought that her beloved older brother was the kind of guy to throw women around was turning her little world upside down around her and he could see in her eyes that she was suddenly scared. Not of him as such – or at least, he _hoped_ not – but more of the shift in what the kid _thought_ she knew. In response to it, Mox reached out and scooched her in closer, sliding her off her own chair and safely over onto his lap.

"Hey," he grumbled, folding his arms around her and resting his chin on the top of her head, "Don't you worry Squeaks, m' not like that asshole. M' not like _any_ of them. You know that right?"

Katie nodded, but it wasn't convincing,

"Did you hurt her?"

Mox shook his head firmly,

"Nope. Listen Munchkin, I know it looks kinda ugly but that's what we do in the wrestlin' world. See, everybody likes to think I'm a bad guy. They _expect_ me to do that sorta crazy messed up stuff. People like havin' a good guy to cheer for, but that means there's gotta be a no good mutha too."

"But – ," Katie frowned, "But you're not a bad guy."

"I am when I'm workin'."

"But only pretending, right?"

"Right," Mox nodded, pointing at the screen and the woman whose locks he had twisted in his hands. Fuck. At first glance it _did_ look brutal which was why it was important he made his sister understand, "She knows me Squeaker, we've done this a whole lot. We talk about this shit before we go out. Y'know, most of the time she _tells_ me to do it, says it'll look worse if I push her and pull her hair. But it's all just actin' Kiddo, we're just playin'. It's not for real. _Any_ of it, y'got that?"

He was desperate – completely desperate – for his words to strike a chord with her and thankfully, apparently, that's exactly what they did. The next thing he knew Katie had blown a little breath out and slumped back into him, comfortable again. To prove that point further she reached over and picked a sandwich up, newly content to get back to her food.

Sort of.

"Still," she hummed, with more wisdom than her seven years, "You shouldn't really even _pretend_ to be mean to girls."

"I know Squeaks, I know."

"People might think you mean it."

"But you don't, right?"

Katie wiggled a bit then shook her head,

"Nuh uh. You're the best person in the whole wide world Mox, you only hurt people when _they're_ being mean or, maybe if they _really_ deserve it."

"Like if they hurt my Squeaker?"

Yep. Like if they hurt me."

Grinning a little, Mox pulled her in tighter. No fucking way could he let the kid go. Their older sister could take a running jump off a mountain. It simply wasn't happening. No way, no how.

"Just as well I've got you to tell me what's what then, huh? Think we make a pretty good team."

Katie giggled then squirmed back against him,

"You make me laugh Mox."

He just hoped he always would.

* * *

 **Okay, so, this is the last little cutesy snapshot chapter. In the next one things start getting just a little bit more real again… *dramatic music time***


	10. Mox Makes A Difficult Decision

**Don't hate me too much for this chapter, okay? It's all in the name of story progression.**

 **Psion53, She's a smart little cookie and yes, I'm sorry, real life has to come back somewhere and I'm afraid this chapter is it. Hopefully you'll agree with his decision at the end, although there's still more of this little story to come.**

 **Mandy, I always wanted an older brother, although I tend to find surrogate brothers in life anyway. It's my particular superpower I guess! As for Katie and Mox, well, he just wants what's best for her. Read this chapter and let me know what you think…(good things hopefully!)**

 **RedRose85, Well, she's his sister so she'll probably grow up feisty although he would probably have a heart attack if she was ever at ringside! Her slapping Big Show would be a hell of a thing!**

 **AngelsDestiny22, Oh goodness, don't worry about not reviewing for a while, I've kind of been non-stop with updates, I don't know what's gotten into me. I'm just glad you're still enjoying it and especially their little moments together. I honestly had such a good time writing this story, so I'm happy that's pretty much coming across.**

 **Ohana1337, You know, I wasn't actually going to put that chapter in. I had the idea for it and was going to insert it much earlier but it didn't feel right. Then suddenly it just fell into place before this one and now I'm super glad I didn't leave it out!**

 **Horrorxlunatic, Well, the good news is you don't have to wait any longer because (without further ado) here the next chapter is!**

 **Sammii Vega, Katie is definitely the family genius! I can imagine her winning the nobel prize in years to come while her brother is still throwing down in the ring! Kids asking questions is one of the most amazing things. I have a little sister and some of the things she says and asks I cannot fathom where she got them from!**

 **Skovko, That's one of the things I miss about being an 'adult' (still feel like a massive kid for the most part) being able to totally immerse in something and get lost in it. Except for my writing, I don't do that with anything else anymore *goes off to cry about missing her childhood in corner***

 **Ohana1337, Oh, wow, well I'm pretty busy at the moment. Maybe pencil you in for a week on Monday for upside head slappings? How does that work for you?! Might need to bring the appointment forward after this one…(I'm already flinching in preparation!)**

 **Here goes nothing!**

* * *

 **\- 10 -**

 **Mox Makes A Difficult Decision.**

The night it became obvious he could no longer keep Katie happened just four days after his sister's call. It was pretty unfair really, since – all things considered – the rest of the arrangement was going along well. Katie was happy, she was healthy, sleeping better. She was like any other well-adjusted, _not_ fucked up kid. It was probably Mox's crowning achievement. The single most worthy thing he'd done in his life. He had made his sister's world better. Although wasn't _that_ the fucking buzz word?

 _Had_.

The offer of bar work came through in the morning from a friend of his needing Mox to pick up a shift. By that point his funds were nearly running empty so realistically there was way that Mox could turn it down. But saying _yes_ meant leaving Katie for the evening and that wasn't something he wanted to do. After all, wasn't that the whole fucking reason they were in this mess? People leaving her on her own?

He talked it through with her because – unlike their mother – Mox had meant it when he'd said they were a team. Fortunately Katie's response had been pragmatic, if not wide-eyed with sudden vague hope.

"Does that mean we can have pizza tomorrow?"

Mox had snorted,

"I guess it does."

Pleasingly she hadn't appeared to be worried and at no point had she considered that he wouldn't come back. She _knew_ he wasn't going to walk off like their mother and disappear on her. She trusted him on that.

Before he had gone, Mox had given her one instruction to follow to the letter,

"Speaker, don't say a word."

The last thing they needed was his neighbors getting curious about noises from his apartment when they knew he was out. There was always someone to ruin the party, by calling family services or – more likely – the cops. So instead Mox had furnished the youngster with some headphones and the use of his laptop.

"Remember Squeaks, not a word."

Then he had kissed her on the forehead fondly as she had mimed the process of locking up her lips. Mox had snorted in amusement at her antics, given her a last look and then stepped out of the door.

Jesus Wept.

What was he thinking? What was he doing leave her all alone in there? For the first three blocks he nearly couldn't fucking handle it and almost turned around and went straight back, but once he hit the bar he just sort of _forgot_ it. Not that he forgot about _her_ as such – it would have taken a lot more to forget his kid sis – more that he forgot _why_ he was worrying. Everything about it felt okay.

As much as he loved her, it was nice to have adult company and as his shift went on he relaxed himself into it, laughing with and frequently _at_ the drunken customers and letting a couple regulars buy him some shots. By the time he arrived home it was the wrong side of midnight but he was smiling and wealthier so he was still kind of pumped. In fact, he was so bright he almost _burst_ in through the doorway, holding aloft a present,

"Come 'ere Squeaks, your order's up."

To be honest Mox had expected confusion, since pizza in the dead of night was by no means a frequent thing. But the one thing he _hadn't_ expected was silence and a whole fucking _lot_ of it. His stomach flipped.

 _Shit._

It was just like the fucking _thunder storm deal_ all over, only this time Mox at least knew where to look and so dropping the pizza box onto the table, he crossed the room to the space beside the bed.

"Thank fuck."

Sure enough, Katie was squashed into the crevice, fast asleep with a blanket tucked around her little form. At first glance she appeared to be sleeping pretty happily but a closer inspection drew cause for alarm. Her face was puffy and her cheeks were raw and swollen, not to mention the fact her nose snuffled when she breathed in. It didn't take a genius to figure out she'd been crying – heavily – but Mox's biggest question was what for?

"Hey – ," reaching out, he shook her very gently, not wanting to frighten her, "Squeaker, wake up."

Her blue eyes fluttered and she moaned very slightly before gasping and suddenly trying to back up, desperately attempting to scramble off away from him while whimpering sleepily,

"Don't want you – want Mox – ,"

"Hey," he tried again, "Munchkin? It _is_ me. Take it easy, okay? I got you – you're safe."

It took a second or two for Katie to get it and Mox could almost _see_ the confusion sloughing off. The bright blue eyes filled quickly with teardrops and she blinked until they brimmed, her voice shaky,

"M-Mox?"

"I'm here Kiddo."

She launched herself at him, landing clumsily against his chest as the blanket got tangled up in her feet. Catsup went flying but she didn't even notice. She didn't have the strength to do much else but sob. In terms of crying it was the worst Mox had heard her. Worse than when their mother had tried to snatch her back again and worse than when her favourite toy had been nearly ripped apart. She was bawling so fiercely she actually started _retching_ and that alone was enough to break his heart.

"M-Mox, they tried – she tried – ,"

She broke off again, blubbering so hard she was soaking his shirt. Not that Mox cared, not even for a second. He was just desperate to work out what was wrong.

"Easy Squeaker, calm down y'hear me? C'mon, that's enough. You'll make yourself sick. Who're you talkin' about? Who the hell tried what here?"

Her response shivered through him like an icy chill,

"M- _Mom_."

" _What_?" Mox pried her away from his shirt front, bending in to look at her, "Mom? She was here?"

Katie nodded, her tiny face blotchy and her breathing coming out in big shaky gulps,

"Uh h-huh, she was shouting t-through the door and – and – ,"

Clearly the narrative was going to be a lengthy telling, she could barely make it three _words_ without getting all choked up. Mox could only imagine how fucking terrified she must have been and all because he wasn't there with her.

It was his fault.

He'd been gone.

Besides which there was another nagging feature. How had his mother found out where he lived? He'd been careful – so fucking _careful_ – to keep it from her, not wanting any booze fuelled three in the morning visits or doorway slanging matches when she felt he'd pissed her off. For almost eighteen months it had worked pretty nicely but now it seemed those halcyon days were done. He should have figured she would stop at nothing to find Katie. They were probably just lucky she hadn't booted the door down.

"Easy Squeaker. _Fuck_. M' fuckin' sorry."

Katie coughed brokenly,

"She – she was banging and y- _yelling_ at me."

Mox pulled her closer,

"She's gone now, okay? She's gone and I promise m' not lettin' her get near 'ya ever again. _Shit_. I mean, if I'd 'a known what she was doin', I'd have come _flyin'_ back Squeaks. Why didn't you ring?"

The tears were still falling thick and fast across her features, to the point where he wondered how she could have much moisture left. At what point did someone become dehydrated from crying for too long? Mox didn't know. Was it even a thing? Katie snuffled sadly against him, her tiny voice croaky,

"You s-said _not a word_."

 _Fuck._

"Yeah but – Squeaks, I didn't mean if you _needed_ me. You should 'a called Kiddo."

"But you _said_ not a word."

The sentence came out in a kind of distraughthiccup as Katie clearly worried she had done something wrong. Really it was all kinds of fucking unfair on her. He _had_ said that. It was _exactly_ what he'd said. But – _Christ_ – he hadn't expected her to follow it. Not to the point she actually _had_.

 _Holy crap._

He had fucked up, really, really badly and now his poor sister thought the whole thing was her fault. He needed to remedy the situation quickly and did so by starting to draw up his knees. The movement shifted her into his lap completely, surrounding her in a four-walled Moxley cocoon. Pulling her close, he started rocking very gently, swaying side to side and palming her hair.

"Hey. It's alright Squeaker. This isn't down to you, okay? Listen to me here. You did _nothin'_ wrong. This whole thing is my fault. I should never a' gone out and left you alone. Think you can forgive your idiot older brother?"

Katie nodded, still crying,

"Uh huh."

"So lay it on me Squeaks, what was she sayin'?"

His sister drew a breath in,

"Lots of b-bad things. S-she called you names and – and asked me to go out there. But I didn't want t-to go with her. I did what you said M-Mox, I kept quiet. They were really a-angry but I got down here and hid."

"They?" Mox questioned, picking up on the phrasing and frowning a little. Katie ducked her head, pushing it closer into his t-shirt and swiping away the tears with a sorry little shake,

"Doug," she whispered, snuffling deeply, "D-Doug was here. H-he was calling me as well."

As a shiver of red hot anger rippled through him, Mox fought it down with every bit of strength he had. He didn't want Katie to feel his body tensing but it was so fucking _hard_ given everything he felt. Not only had his mother turned up to grab her daughter, angry and by the sounds of it pretty drunk as well, but she had brought along the god damn asshole who had started it. The boyfriend she had _dumped_ a few weeks ago. Mox swore if he never heard the fucking name _Doug_ again it would still be an actual lifetime too soon.

In hindsight it was a good thing that Katie _had_ stayed silent. If they had known she was in there – if they had known she was _alone_ in there – they would have busted their way in, Mox had no doubt of that. He briefly imagined how his reaction would have played out if he'd come home to find the door ajar and Katie fucking _gone_. The thought made him draw her in a little closer, still snuffling fit to burst as the trauma rumbled on.

"M' sorry Squeaker, you deserve much better."

 _Better than our mother._

 _Better than me._

It took perhaps another half hour before the little youngster managed to cry herself out. By that point her face was like a pantone of redness and her long brown hair was sticking fast to her soggy face. She fell asleep still wrapped in his arms for safety, but once she was out, he transferred her to the bed, peeling the wet strands off her rosy little cheekbones and tucking the covers tightly around.

If he had been there, then he could have protected her. But he couldn't do shit without any funds. They had to eat, he had to buy her schoolbooks, not to mention clothes and shoes. How the hell could he provide for her when he couldn't even manage to keep the kid safe? It was a bitter, _bitter_ pill to have to swallow but there was only one option and it certainly wasn't him. Katie deserved every chance she could get in life, a proper education, her own little room. _Fuck_. It killed him just having to _think_ it, but at that point what the hell else could be done?

Letting out a sigh, he picked up his cell phone.

"M' so sorry Squeaker. I really fuckin' am."

* * *

 **Argh, don't shout at me! It has to be done!**


	11. Mox Lets Katie Go

**Yes, another chapter in which you're going to hate me but like I said last time, it has to be done! Still got a few more chapters here though, so we're not done yet!**

 **RedRose85, Don't worry, I'll never ruin Mox and Katie's special sibling vibes. They mean too much to me as well!**

 **Mandy, I know, I know! But he's doing it for Katie. Hopefully you'll agree with him (however reluctantly) once you've read this chapter through. Or, you know, maybe not!**

 **Ohana1337, Heart stompings are my speciality (everyone's gotta have one, right?) My upside head slapping is in permanent marker now isn't it? What's the next step up? Writing it in blood? Oh dear, I'd best brace myself for this chapter then…**

 **Raze Olympus, Um *blinks about a million times* Thank you? Since I've got no idea what that means I'm just going to assume it says that you loved that last chapter and think I'm fabulous (a girl can dream, right?!)**

 **Sammii Vega, Ha, well I'm not quite as cruel as adoption services! Don't think I could ever do that to Mox. But it's still going to be hard for both him and Katie. Here's the next chapter for you, all ready to go!**

 **Skovko, Damn, didn't occur to me to have him win the lottery! Clearly I didn't think the story through hard enough! But honestly, Mox just can't raise Katie and become the Dean Ambrose we all know and love. There's method in my madness, I'm sticking to semi real-life (you know, as much as a fictional story can!) #stillrealtome**

 **Psion53, Yep, he has to think sensibly on this one and not with his heart. Not that the drama is by any means over. Doug's been quiet for a while, don't you think? *Foreshadows wildly***

 **Guest, I'm glad you like my Mox in this one, he's not as growly and wild when he's with his baby sis. It's going to be rough for both of them to be separated, which is why this chapter was so hard to write!**

 **Tissues at the ready for this one folks!**

* * *

 **\- 11 -**

 **Mox Lets Katie Go.**

The worst part was that Katie somehow thought it was _her_ fault. The kid actually believed she'd done something wrong. She had stood in the corner of the apartment watching him pack things, her big blue eyes desolate.

"I'm sorry, I – I'll be good."

 _Jesus_.

"Squeaker, listen, you've done nothin' you shouldn't have. This isn't because you've been bad, alright? Are you kiddin' me? You're the best behaved one in the family and easily the cleanest and cutest roommate I ever had."

He'd been going for humor but it had fallen pretty flat again and _damn_ those big round, tear-filled eyes, burning a hole into his cold heart _drill-like_. He felt as though he'd kicked her.

She was _so_ fucking hurt.

"Then why – then why are you sending me away from you?"

"I'm not _sending you away_ Squeaks, I'm tryin' 'a keep you safe. I don't want to do this anymore 'n you do Kiddo, but I'm kinda in a _corner_ here. I don't know what else to do. 'Sides, you need to get a proper education, grow up all smart and get yourself a good job, because when you're a famous astronaut and I'm still in this place, you'd better believe I'm a' come hit you up."

Once again he had been trying to get a smile from her but once again it had failed to work and instead her jutted out lip had just wobbled and the tears had started falling.

"But I want to stay with you."

Clearly in the midst of her emotional breakdown – and given what had happened to her, he couldn't begrudge her that – things like reasoning and planning for the future had seemed unimportant. Well, at least to her. What _she_ wanted was her favourite older sibling but suddenly he appeared to be turning her away and whatever Mox said, whatever he assured her, she was seven years old so it would always seem that way. For her, it was as simple as him no longer wanting her and that was a knife lodged deep in her chest.

 _Crap._

Stopping to grab Catsup before crossing the room towards her, Mox had scooped her up and dropped her down onto the bed, squatting a little until they were at the same level and cupping her face as he dropped the toy onto her lap.

"Squeaker, I need y' to listen to me here, 'kay? You have never – _could_ never – do anythin' wrong. M' not doin' this to punish you or whatever. I'm doin' this because I love ya', alright? Ya got that? An' sometimes when you love someone, you gotta do the right thing instead of just doin' what _you_ wanna do. 'Cos honestly Kiddo, I'd have you with me always, but that wouldn't be fair an' it wouldn't be right. You shouldn't have to sit all alone while m' workin', or live in motel rooms most 'a the time. If I made you do that, I'd be a pretty crappy brother. So m' doin' this _for_ ya', even though I know it hurts. Just, don't go thinkin' I don't love you, y' hear me? Not true Squeaker. That'll _never_ be true."

The monologue had taken a while to filter down to her, but to her credit, the kid had drunk in every word, understanding the message but still feeling miserable. In the end all he had got was a minute nod.

" _Mmhmm_."

"You _do_ know that right Squeaks? You do know I love ya?"

Katie had nodded,

"I know, I love you back."

But it hadn't held much of its usual conviction and he hadn't really been able to blame her lack of spunk. He had probably not been her favourite person – except that he was, he _always_ fucking was. The one guy she could trust and he had all but betrayed her. Told her she could stay and then written the promise off. Not that she didn't get along with their older sister but for the most part their age gap had just been too wide. Mox and Katie had bonded because they were similar but his two sisters were personality _poles_ apart. Despite that though, his older sister had made good choices which was something he thought again as they drove up to her house.

At some point – in amongst a veritable turnstile of assholes – his elder sister had actually met a nice man. Mox's brother in law was what he called a _normal_ person in that he had two sweet parents, an education and a job. What the guy saw in their older sister was debateable but that fact aside, his sibling had done well. Well enough at least to move out to the suburbs, well enough to have a whole house they owned themselves. She had two little boys, a lawn and a driveway. For people from _their_ neighbourhood, that was living the dream.

His own battered car looked at odds pulled up kerbside but Mox kind of liked the worried faces he saw. Especially that of his sister's stuck-up neighbour, who seemed pretty horrified as he tried to mow his lawn.

"Mornin'," Mox grinned, "Nice enough day, huh?"

The man spluttered a little and then snipped back,

" _Uh huh_."

It was a sniffy response that made Mox chuckle further and he was still smiling widely as he strolled towards the door, steering Katie ahead of him by the shoulders but not failing to notice her deliberately dragging feet.

"We go any slower we're gonna stop Squeaker."

Katie shrugged a little,

"I don't care."

"Listen Munchkin," Mox sighed heavily, throwing Katie's bags up over his shoulder like he was modelling them for some up-market fall collection catalogue, "We've talked about this, okay? You gotta be brave and do this. 'Sides, it's not like I'm abandonin' you here or anythin'. I'll come and visit, every week, I promise."

"But I want you to come every _day_ and see me, I'll miss you too much."

Mox drew a breath in, steadying himself,

"I'll miss you too."

Either through the merits of her large lounge windows, or else some in-built _chaotic sibling_ telepathy, their older sister was stood in the doorway even before they'd made it that far, Mox's two nephews tumbling out after her and the whole thing drawing a lump to his throat. That was it, there was no going back now and clearly Katie realized it as well. Chancing a glance down at her almost fucking _killed_ him. She didn't just look sad, she looked completely beaten down. If their sister could see it however, then she chose to ignore it, simply moving in and sweeping the youngster into a hug.

"Sweetie," she breathed into the little girl's long hair, smoothing it down maternally, "How are you baby girl? Jonny been feeding you? Making sure you do your school work? How about bedtime? Have you been sleeping alright?"

Moxley snorted, brushing in past her and dropping the bags off in the hallway of her house. It even _smelt_ clean, of lemon scented products. He doubted their mother could even _spell_ the word clean.

"Jesus, ease up will ya? M' not a total screw-up."

"Watch your mouth around the boys please Jon."

"What? Jesus? Nothin' wrong with Jesus. How is it a crime to wanna praise our Lord?"

His sister folded her arms and tapped a foot at him in classic no nonsense _older sibling_ style. It was a posture she had perfected during their teen years and had simply been honing into an artform ever since. The singular downside was that it had never really worked on him and nor did it now. Mox merely grinned.

"Alright, alright, no religious fervour, forgive me for tryin' 'a bring God into this house."

As much fun as it was – and it _was_ – teasing his sister, the smaller of his siblings was still standing looking down, practically _attached_ to the back of his worn jeans and wanting to stick to him as close as she could. Their nephews careered around them and he ruffled their heads fondly but there was simply no denying they were not his favourite kids. Pretty cute, sure and family, so he loved them but always and forever his main rugrat was Squeaks. At this point no one pretended like she wasn't, not even his sister as she scooped a child up, tucking a chubby one year old onto her hipbone while her rambunctious three year old tugged at her hem.

"We've put the boys in a bedroom together, so you can have your own. Katie? That sound good? We haven't decorated it or painted or whatever, we wanted to make sure what colours you liked first."

"Yellow," Mox answered as Katie stood in silence, chewing her bottom lip like she was trying to gnaw it off, "She likes yellow and purple and blue, don't 'cha Squeaker?"

His baby sister nodded in near silence,

" _Mmhmm_."

"Wanna see your new space then?" Mox pushed her, needing to get _something_ from her bar the blank looks. Katie shrugged her shoulders ever so slightly and her eyes slid up to him, asking what to do next. Clearly she didn't know how to process her emotions and it was fucking _brutal_ to think that he had partly caused that.

"Katie?" their older sister tried, sounding gentle, "Do you want to see? I'll take you up there."

"Come on Squeaks, we gotta check it out right? Find a good place to put all your stuff."

The three of them – four if you counted the baby, the toddler having been sealed in downstairs – climbed the magnolia painted staircase in silence, with Mox again having to prod the kid along. Katie, for her part, couldn't have looked _less_ pumped but their sister continued to act as if she was.

"So there isn't a whole lot in there at the moment, just the basics, but we can easily fix it up. We want you to feel at home here sweetie, so colours and drapes? The choice is all yours."

"Hear that Squeaker? That sounds good right?"

Radio silence was all he got.

The bedroom itself was basically the box room but after _his_ place, Mox doubted she would care. Actually it was pretty fucking nice all things considered. Not to mention a gesture he couldn't hope to pay back. The elder of his sisters wasn't just offering them a stop-gap, she was talking as if it were a _permanent_ thing. No doubt she had managed to track down their mother and come to the same conclusion as him but still, she was opening her home to the youngster, for as long as she needed it.

He couldn't compete.

 _Thump._

As somewhere downstairs the three year old disrupted furniture – in a Hulk-like protest at having been shut out – their older sibling rolled her eyes a little, glancing at Mox.

"Be back in a sec."

The moment she walked out, the tension seemed to slacken and Mox watched Katie's shoulders physically drop down. Reaching across, he ruffled her hair gently, trying to sound positive,

"Nice room, huh?"

" _Mmmm_ ," Katie nodded, the expression not convincing, although Mox ploughed on,

"What colour d'ya want? Pink? Green? Hey, how about polka dots or maybe orange stripes? What, y' think that's too much?"

Katie's lip popped out and wobbled, a single word tremoring out,

"M-Mox – ,"

"Hey there Kiddo," he cooed at her softly, dropping onto the mattress and pulling her in close. She folded down onto his lap snuffling sadly and he palmed her hair back and bit a sigh down of his own, "I know it's not perfect – _any_ a' this – alright Squeaks? But she loves you, okay an' she's tryin' her best here, so maybe you can muster up a tiny little smile, huh? For me?"

Katie's voice faltered, but _fuck it_ she was trying and that was part of the reason she rocked.

"Uh huh."

He kissed her, pulling her head down and smacking an exaggerated _mwah_ beside her ear,

"That's my Munchkin. You're gonna be okay here. I promise you Squeaker, you're gonna be okay."

"I wish I could stay with you."

Mox clamped his tongue down, pinning it so fiercely he almost drew blood.

"Yeah, me too, but this'll be better. You'll see Squeaker. It's gonna be good."

* * *

 ***Sobs uncontrollably and rocks backwards and forwards* Had to be done, had to be done…**

 **In the next chapter, Katie goes missing. Has she run away? Gonna have to read and find out!**


	12. Katie Is In Trouble

**Warning: Drama and tension ahead!**

 **xXBalorBabeXx, Ooh, I can already feel your spideysense tingling! Good guesses on what happens and one of them might just be right…**

 **Psion53, Dean and his older sister do love each other but they've butted heads too many times to change their relationship now! They can work together when they need to though (see below for example #1)**

 **Ohana1337, Aww, thanks for the compliment. I actually found the last chapter hard to write because I didn't want to do it really. I just had to keep to my vision for the rest of this story and plough on (for the greater good and all that jazz). Promise I won't hurt them too much. Katie's only a child, I'm not a monster after all!**

 **Mandy, Haha, she** _ **would**_ **rather side in the middle of the street with Mox** _ **but**_ **don't be too hard on their older sister, she loves Katie too and can give her a stable home. Mox needs to be able to carry on his wrestling and become the Dean Ambrose we all know and love. Gotta try and make this story at least halfway believable, right?! Plenty of sweetness still to come though. Not a downer ending I promise!**

 **Sammii Vega, Things** _ **always**_ **get better. Sorry to make you sad, but I like to think of this all as more bittersweet than truly depressing. He's got to do what's best for little sis! Next chapter for you, coming right up...**

 **Horrorxlunatic, Hope the last 48 hours weren't too long of a wait. Have a cookie for being so patient and enjoy this chapter (well, at least I hope you do!)**

 **Skovko, *Sings ELO's** _ **Evil Woman**_ *** Yes, yes I am. What are you gonna do about it? Huh?** _ **Huh**_ **?**

 **Guest, Yep, she wants her Mox but would she really risk running away? Hmmm. Well, you're about to find out…**

 **Irishfan62, Awww, don't be a sad panda...or any other type of sad cute animal! Everything will be happy in the end, I won't leave you all on a downer, promise!**

 **Dive in folks!**

* * *

 **\- 12 -**

 **Katie Is In Trouble.**

For five whole days after he had left her, Katie refused to talk to Mox _at all_. She didn't answer when he called her new cell phone, she didn't talk when their older sister dutifully passed the handset across. She was silently rebelling, punishing him for the abandonment and – what was worse – he didn't blame her. Not one little bit. After all, he had promised her faithfully she could stay with him and the second it had gotten rough, he had palmed her back off. No wonder the kid was in something of a huff with him.

He was pretty pissed at _himself_.

Still, it was too late to switch things up again. His sister would never let Mox take her back. Besides which the decision was still the most logical – not in Katie's eyes – but it had been _right_ to let her go. Not that it soothed the ache in Mox's chest any.

He missed her.

 _Fiercely._

His apartment was no longer home. Instead it was just somewhere he crashed between matches or one of his many recent bartending shifts. His financial situation was improving exponentially but his mood and sense of well-being were definitely down.

" _Just give her a little bit of time, okay Jonny_?" his sister had offered gently during his latest nightly call, " _Katie's gone through a lot in the last few weeks. The poor kid's just processing. She loves you. You know she does._ "

Mox had grunted.

Well, she _had_ done but suddenly that all seemed up in the air. It was a horrible blend of regret and conviction and it swung from pole to pole like a seesaw in the park. By the Friday morning he was almost _amped_ with it and twitching fit to burst as his fingers drummed his legs. At some point he had scratched his neck almost to _pieces_ but he was stumped if he could work out precisely when that was. His foot bounced up and down on repeat like a drill bit, almost driving a dent into the carpeted ground. He couldn't settle knowing that Katie was pissed with him and he couldn't just _sit_ there.

It was driving him mad.

Letting out a sigh he grabbed up his jacket and headed on out into the encroaching winter chill. During the course of Katie's inhabitancy he had taken to going outside to have a smoke. She was no longer there with him – didn't he fucking _know_ it – but the habit had remained.

You know, in case she came back.

It was why Mox was already halfway out the front door before he realized there was a person stalking in across the mat, tall and determined with her off-blonde locks swept back and a baby on her hip.

It was his sister.

"What the fuck?"

"Language Jon. Have you got Katie here?"

Mox stepped back as she swept into the room, casting around without waiting for an answer and sounding both heated and worried as hell.

"Squeaker? No. M' not her favourite person. Remember? She's kinda on _Mox strike_ right now."

His sister sighed,

"I know, but I thought maybe – ,"

"Maybe what?" Mox frowned, "Hey, what's goin' on?"

Throughout their exchange her blue eyes had been searching, scanning the compact little room back and forth. In a weird way it seemed like she didn't believe him but she also looked desperate and frantic and _lost_. If Mox was honest then it was kind of unsettling – she had always been the most _in control_ one – but there she was on the edge of a breakdown with tears in her eyes.

 _Shit._

Something was very wrong.

Tucking the cigarette still clutched between his fingers in a well-practised move behind his right ear, he reached out a hand and spun her towards him, frowning a little,

"'Kay, I'm startin' to freak here. Why are you even _lookin'_ for Squeaks anyway? I mean, shouldn't she be – like, what time is it – at school?"

His elder sibling choked a sudden sob back, the noise slicing through him a little like a knife. If _she_ fell apart then _he_ would have to step in and he still didn't know what he was stepping in _to_. All he knew was that it somehow involved Katie. The rest was a horrible blank.

"Yes, she should."

"So then where the hell is she?"

His sister shook her head at him, a lonely tear rolling out,

"I – I don't know. One minute she was there and then the next thing she wasn't and I can't find her Jon. I've looked _everywhere_. You were my last chance so if you don't have her then I'm out of ideas. I don't know what to do."

It was probably the first time he'd ever seen her rattled and she was going the whole hog, including _shaking_ as well.

 _Fuck_.

Crossing the room Mox opened a cupboard and pulled down a tumbler then a bottle of scotch. His sister stared back at him but didn't contest it and nor did she complain when he passed it across. Actually she downed it, which was more confirmation that somehow everything had gone straight to hell. Since she'd had children she'd gone all _earth mother_ which meant shunning both smokes and the hard stuff as well.

"Better?"

"A little."

"Okay, so clue me in here. M' not really followin' what's goin' on. How 'bout you give me this deal from the beginnin'? You're sayin' you _lost_ her?"

"I'm _saying_ she's gone."

"Gone from _where_?"

"The front step."

"You mean your house?"

"I was in the kitchen making their lunches and Katie was waiting for me outside. She was fine Jon – _fine_ – she was playing with her cat toy then the next thing I know she's not there anymore. She's not in her room, up the street, she's not anywhere. Where would she go Jon? _Where would she go_?"

At some point during the narrative his sister had moved closer, to the point where she could actually grab at his shirt. Her eyes were wild and pleading for answers but he didn't have any, only questions to add.

"Was Catsup still there?"

"What?"

" _Catsup_. The cat toy?"

Her response hit him bodily,

"Yes I – I've got it in the car."

 _Shit._

Double shit.

Triple shit and fuck it.

The sheer terror of the whole thing had just been blown wide. No way in _hell_ would Katie have left her buddy. It was literally the one thing she had left in the world. The one consistent presence around her that hadn't hurt her, cut her adrift or tried to palm her off. If she hadn't taken Catsup then she _couldn't_ take Catsup.

Which left one option.

"They've grabbed her."

"What?"

His sister's head snapped up in astonishment, clearly not following her brother's train of thought. Mox's whole system was screaming fucking _murder_ and it took everything he had not to turn and punch the wall.

"Mom and Doug, they've got her, m' _tellin'_ ya."

"But I went to Mom's already. No one was there."

"Doesn't matter," Mox shook his head, "Doesn't change the fact they've got her. Who the hell else would fuckin' grab her from your _home_? Who the hell else would even know she was stayin'? They've probably been watchin' since I dropped her off. _Fuck_."

For once his sister didn't chew out his cussing, either too bewildered or far too stressed to take note. Her youngest child – Mox's nephew – gazed between them, big blue eyes wondering what on earth was going on.

Fucked if he knew.

"You – you really think she was _kidnapped_?"

"You don't?"

"What if she – what if she just ran off?"

Mox shook his head again,

"No way, not buyin' it. For a start that kid is too much of a suck up, never breaks the god damn rules. An' for another thing she would never _ever_ give up Catsup. You'd have to fuckin' _pry_ it from her hands."

"So then why didn't I hear anything? Why didn't she call for me?"

Mox paused, trying not to question it too hard. If Katie hadn't screamed then maybe someone had stopped her. Maybe she'd been knocked out? Had a hand across her mouth? Each of those scenarios made him feel sick and angry.

He'd failed her again.

He hadn't been there.

In fact _so_ deep was his sudden self-loathing, that he almost missed the violent buzz of his phone, only taking note as it shifted across the table, the vibrations drawing out an intense little note. He snatched it up as his sister blinked over, his stomach lurching.

 _Incoming Call…_

 _Squeaker Cell_

"Shit."

Frantically Moxley stabbed at the button, almost _disconnecting_ it his fingers were so rough. Luckily however, he managed to keep a hold on it and put it to his ear to the strains of a frantic voice,

" _M-Mox_?"

"Squeaker? Y' alright? Where are you? Talk to me Kiddo? Are y' okay?"

"He s-shut me in. It's dark. I don't like it. Please come and get me. I want to go home."

Her tones were tiny and fragile and _terrified_ and each single syllable drove a spike through his heart. She was whispering slightly, which rang more alarm bells as did the _dark_ line not to mention the word _he_.

"Who has Squeaks? Who the hell's gotcha?"

She choked a little tear back,

"D-Doug and Mom."

"Fuck," Mox ground out, thumping his fist down and making his older sister jump where she stood, "I fuckin' knew it had to be those assholes. This is _exactly_ the sorta fucked up shit they'd pull. Y' alright Squeaks? Kiddo? Hey, has he touched ya?"

"He t-threw me in the closet."

No wonder she was scared. The poor kid was _literally_ reliving her worst memory at the hands of a man she was frightened to death of. Mox dropped his head and pinched at his eyelids as his sister moved in closer,

"Jon? What's going on?"

"Fuckin' Mom and her pervert boyfriend grabbed her – like I said."

Her face fell a clear country mile,

"But I _went_ to the house. I went in and looked everywhere. I'm telling you Jon, she isn't over there."

Back on the line, Katie was still sniffling and at a thump in the background she let out a little squeak. Her pulsating fear was practically palpable and her older brother hated it – _hated_ it – with everything he had.

"M-Mox?"

"M' still here Squeaks, don't worry, m' still here."

"T-they grabbed me from o-outside the house. I tried to scream but D-Doug said he would hurt me. I – I dropped Catsup. _Please_ come and get me out."

 _Shit._

Okay, so it was exactly as Mox had dreaded it and at the same time hearing it spoken was far worse. Especially since Katie's tiny voice was so damn _broken_. He could only imagine what her head was going through.

"Munchkin, _hey_ , I promise I'll come get you, but first m' gonna need you to tell me where you are."

"D-Doug's apartment."

"You sure 'bout that Squeaker?"

She coughed a little in distress,

"Uh huh."

Well, that was something – they had a location – and Mox covered the speaker with an angry, shaking hand,

"That fucker's apartment? You ever been there?"

His sister blinked, trying to cast her mind back. Her brain was more than likely a jumble of emotions but quite frankly she was wasting precious seconds they didn't have. Instinctively Mox bit out a short warning grumble and she seemed to snap out of it.

"I – I dropped mom off once. I think I can remember it. Come on, I'll drive you."

With a sudden burst of energy she steamed towards the doorway, her mid-heels clicking on Mox's cheap floor. In his ear he could still hear Katie fighting hot tears back and he offered out a promise,

"Hang in there Squeaks, I'll getcha home."

* * *

 **So, who fancies a bit of Mox as the Big Damn Hero in the next chapter? Anyone?** _ **Think**_ **I might be able to help you out. Also, come on guys, their older sister is trying and hopefully in the next installment she'll turn your frowns around and prove she cares about Katie as much as Mox does, well, almost as much...aaah, you'll see!**


	13. Mox Rescues Katie

**Big brother to the rescue! I know you've all been waiting. This is our big dramatic showdown. Only one more chapter after this.**

 **xXBalorBabeXx, Oh no, I'm so sorry about your house falling through. Moving is the worst. I totally see why it's one of the most stressful things in life. Hope this chapter cheers up even more and I'm keeping my fingers crossed for you having better luck next time.**

 **Psion53, Oh yes, lessons coming left, right and centre in this chapter. Not that anyone that gets their comeuppance here doesn't deserve it...they definitely do!**

 **Mandy, Don't apologise, I love how invested you are in this little story of mine. Who doesn't have faith in Mox?** _ **Plus**_ **he's delivers. I think this chapter is his best moment so far!**

 **Skovko, The Fighting Moxley's, that could be the brother-sister crime duo name. Although his sister has married so she'll be another name I haven't invented yet, so there's that idea gone!**

 **Sammii Vega, One and a half reviews…**

 **Sammii Vega, One and a half replies! Not sure it's the best ass kicking scene** _ **ever**_ **but I'm certainly happy with it, hope you are too *crosses fingers and toes***

 **Ohana1337, Well, the good news is there is lots of retribution in this one and slaps all round! I'm the older sister too, so I feel the pain of being the sensible one. Of course, my sister is really,** _ **really**_ **little so at least we don't argue or rub each other up the wrong way. She's my Katie!**

 **Showdown time!**

* * *

 **\- 13 -**

 **Mox Rescues Katie.**

The part of the city that Doug made his home in was insalubrious to say the least. Not a million miles from the neighbourhood they'd grown up in but a long, long way away from where they lived now. Or, well, not Moxley and his small apartment but his sister had certainly moved on to better things.

The building itself was located on a gradient, in stark red brick and in uniform style. There were no curves or flourishes, no architectural elegance, just plain square windows lined up in straight rows. It was flanked by other apartment blocks just like it, all gazing out across the empty grey streets, glowering out at their neighbours on the other side in an unending line of uninspiring abodes.

"Which one?" Mox barked as his sister pulled the car up, the sleek family vehicle looking wildly out of place. He was already snapping his belt off as she answered – his elder sibling had forced him to put it on.

"Third floor, apartment on the right, don't know the number."

In response to her Mox threw open the door, bolting like a sprinter on hearing the starting pistol and not once faltering or turning back round. His sister would be right behind him – somewhere – but only after having unclipped her baby son. In terms of backup it probably wasn't perfect to have a small child braced tight against her hip, but his sibling when pressed could be pretty damn ferocious so she was better than nothing. She was a Moxley after all.

The apartment block was either so old or ill-thought out, that no one had bothered to install an intercom and so Mox was able to blast through the main doors and cross the tiled lobby before bolting up the stairs at a breath-taking run. Everything about the place just seemed _oppressive_ and it made him shudder to think of Katie trapped in there. The whole building stank of weed and desperation and there were hints of the tenants lives strewn across the floors. Babies pushchairs piled in the stairwell, abandoned litter and junk and _shoes_. People in these places rarely got out of them. He and his older sister were among the lucky ones. Not that he lived the life of a _king_ as such, but wrestling had certainly given him a chance – a chance he was determined to let Katie share a part of. Hell, she could _have_ it. She deserved it way more.

By the time he hit the third floor he was _pumping_. Adrenaline and purpose flowing hot through his veins. He burst into the hallway and then swung right towards a front door that was rapidly peeling paint and bore several boot-shaped holes. Clearly Doug was a popular person and so wasting little time, Mox added a couple more, alternating kicking with pounding his fists against it and clenching his teeth fiercely.

 _Come on, open up._

From somewhere inside he could hear muffled voices, higher tones – his mother's – and then the deeper ones of Doug. He assumed they were questioning who the hell might be visiting and arguing about whether to answer it or not. Judging from the deeper notes, Doug was less than certain while his mother seemed to be moving closer to the door. She was screaming at him and even through the thick woodwork, Mox could already tell she was drunk. Sometimes he wondered why it even surprised him. She was usually drunk these days. It was just how she worked.

"Don' tell me what t' do Doug, m' gonna open it. Oh yeah? Watch me. No. _Fuck you_ – ,"

The door didn't even have to fully click open before Mox had barged a shoulder inside, throwing his alcoholic mess of a mother into an off-balance stagger which she performed with a yelp. Not that Mox was much bothered by her stability or her evident relationship woes, all he cared about was getting his sister and so he brushed his way past her and into the lounge.

The place – as he had pretty well expected – was a sad state of bachelor life on drugs, with a threadbare couch that was losing its stuffing, some broken mismatched furniture and a large tv screen. The blinds were still drawn making the whole place murky and the smell of stale _everything_ hung in the air. Stepping over a dark stain on the carpet – a big one which he assumed was once a blood pool – Mox turned and headed away from the kitchen.

Katie was in a closet. That meant the bedroom.

Somewhere behind him, his mother was stumbling upright, slurring out his name as she frowned with bleary eyes into the room. It would probably take a while to start moving. She was too drunk and too confused to shift very fast.

"Jonny?"

He ignored her – better that than punch her – crossing the gloomy space to a spattered looking door. It was slightly ajar and he could hear the sounds of shuffling, creaking hinges, grumbling voices and then a terrified shriek.

 _Shit._

"Squeaker?"

Mox broke into an all-out canter, narrowing the last five feet in a run. He exploded through the doorway and into a messy bedroom, his eyes zeroing in on a blood-boiling sight.

Doug was stood in front of the open closet from which he was roughly dragging something out. That something was small, pulling back hard and whimpering. That something had brown hair, a tear-stained face and red cheeks. That something _happened_ to be Mox's little sister and the sounds of her sobbing cut straight through the stale air.

"Stop _fighting_ damn it – ," Doug bellowed down at her, giving her arm a violent tug. Katie tripped over some discarded clothing and hit the ground heavily, landing on her kneecaps, " _Get up_."

He hadn't seen Mox yet, but he clearly knew shit was coming. The window in the room was flanked by a fire escape and the casement had been slid open. Was he trying to get away? With Katie on the ground he resorted to just dragging her, making her cry out as he scraped her body along the floor.

" _Ow_ – ,"

That was it. That was all he needed. In the time it took to blink Mox had _launched_ across the room, stepping over Katie and ploughing straight into the older man and driving him back with every ounce of stored up rage.

"Get your fuckin' hands _off_ her you fucker – ," Mox spat as the pair thudded back into the wall. They landed hard and a couple of shards of plaster flaked from the ceiling and rained down like light snow, "What the fuck's _wrong_ with you? She's just a damn child. Is that how you like 'em, huh? Is that what y' like to do?"

" _No_ – ," Doug spluttered, as if he could save things, "No, that's not – ,"

Mox reined a fist back, not prepared to let the man finish and instead planting his knuckles into the middle of the face. The asshole's head snapped back – as in _snapped_ back – with a pleasing and very, very audible click. At first Mox assumed he'd broken the guy's vertebrae but as blood started pouring he realized it was the nose. Already across the bridge an ugly band was forming and there was a definite misalignment which was beautiful to see. Tears sprang into Doug's eyes and he _howled_ , trying his best to break out of Mox's hold. It didn't work. _At all_. The younger man was furious, not to mention leaner, quicker and more pumped as well.

" _Shut up_ – ,"

Mox gripped tight at Doug's jaw one-handed, squeezing his cheeks until the older man winced. The asshole was trying to flail and kick out at him, but Mox was a wrestler so he could counter that shit. Leaning in he applied a good deal more pressure while adding a swift but harsh punch to the ribs. The blow drew the air clean out of Doug's system and he coughed and tried to lean forward a little bit. Mox snapped him back up again,

"Please. Look, I didn't – I didn't _touch_ her."

"You were draggin' her over the floor asshole, I _saw_."

To further make his point, Mox punched him in the face again, then a third time, then a fourth, then a fifth. Each time he did, the next came even quicker and harder and bloodier. He was getting in his hits. A furious red film had descended down over him and almost nothing could penetrate through. Not Doug's blubbery whimpering, not the blood, not the _pleading_. Mox was wild and dangerous.

He was going to kill the guy.

Then tiny arms wound in around one kneecap and burnt off the anger in one desperate little move.

"Wha – ?"

Glancing down he found Katie huddled into him, not trying to stop him but just wanting to be held. There she was, her body shaking from the misery and so desperate for reassurance that she had simply latched on. Even her brother fucking _murdering_ her abductor was a better comfort prospect than being on her own and as that thought hit him, the anger drained away from him.

Well, not entirely, but just about enough.

Dropping Doug – who slithered down the brickwork, half-conscious and bleary trying to cup his bloodied face – Mox bent down and caught his sister's elbows, hefting her upwards and into his waiting arms.

" _Fuck_ , Squeaker – ,"

Her legs wrapped in around him and cinched his waist like a little tiny vice. It didn't really matter, just as long as she was safe again and as Mox shook a breath out she dropped her head against his neck, her little chest _vibrating_ with the storm of emotions as she coughed and cried and fucking _retched_ and tried to talk,

"M-Mox, I – I didn't – I didn't – ,"

"S' okay Squeaks, _sssh_ , s' alright now, s' okay, m' here."

"It was d-dark and I couldn't s-see anything – ,"

Mox fought down the anger,

"S' alright, I know."

Her button-cute face was hot and blotchy, not to mention slick with some ten thousand tears. It made her cheeks stick to the material of his t-shirt and clung to her hair, which Mox gently palmed back. In between speaking she was also still crying in big, all-consuming, _audible_ sobs.

"I'm s-sorry Mox."

He frowned,

"What for Squeaker?"

"F-for not t-talking to you."

Mox smiled fondly,

"That's okay. Kiddo, I totally get why you were mad at me. I left ya, I deserved it, m' not angry."

"I – I missed you," Katie bawled against him, the sentence so sweet that he actually laughed. Not in amusement or even in mockery but in an instinctive and full-bodied reaction to relief. Squeaker was there, he had her and she still loved him. Everything was right in their very fucked up world.

"Missed y' too Munchkin, every fuckin' day, y' hear? Practically killed me not havin' you there. But I can't look after you like you need me to. Y' get that? I mean, I barely get by keepin' _m'self_ alive most days. You deserve a whole lot more n' that. You deserve t' have everythin' – _that's_ why I did it."

Katie sniffed again,

"I know."

Somewhere behind them, Doug moaned sadly and feeling Katie shiver, Mox took her from the room, leaving the ominous closet behind them and cutting through the lounge where their mother was still stood. She watched him go with something akin to bafflement, before suddenly launching towards them with a sneer,

"No, y' can' have her. Katie's _my_ baby – ,"

But then suddenly a hand reached out and tapped her on the shoulder, making the already unsteady woman lurch. As Mox blinked over, he watched his older sister rear her fist back and punch their parent on the nose. Her one-year old son was still balanced on her hipbone and honestly the whole thing was a damn impressive feat. Their mother squawked and reeled away cursing, before landing in a heap half-wedged up against the wall.

"That's for kidnapping our little sister _and_ for coming anywhere near my home. From now on, Katie lives with me, you got that? You stay away from her, you stay away from us. I'll be putting custody papers in tomorrow and I'm warning you now, I _will_ drag this through the courts. Best for you if you just sign them quietly or next time it'll be my lawyer that knocks you on your ass."

As her passionate and no-nonsense sentence echoed round them – positively bouncing back in off the walls – Mox smiled wryly, which caught his sibling's ire and she frowned with hot eyes at him, still fierce.

 _What_?

"Didn't say anythin'," Mox held a hand up, still smirking lightly, "Nothin' at all."

Clearly you could take the girl out of the neighbourhood, but you couldn't take the neighbourhood out of the girl. On seeing Katie however, their sibling's face softened and she crossed towards them purposefully, mothering fit to burst.

"Sweetie? You alright? Are you hurt? Did he touch you?"

In response to the barrage Katie merely nodded her head a little before tucking it in tighter against her brother's shoulder and continuing to cry her troubles away.

"She's okay," Mox growled, "Just shaken."

Their sister nodded,

"Thank god for that. Where's Doug?"

Mox snarled a little,

"Back in the bedroom, but don't worry, he's not gonna be up for a while."

If she knew what that meant – and it wasn't likely she didn't – then thankfully she chose to just answer with a nod. One of her hands was still pressed to Katie's hairline and her own child was starting to grizzle on her hip, clearly wondering why his mother was so angry and had taken him to a place which was gloomy and stank.

Down on the floor, their mother bit a sob out, her voice sounding wobbly and pathetic and hoarse. If she hadn't been such a terrible parent, then Mox might even have pitied her a bit, but the fact that just _hearing_ her tones made Katie whimper, pretty much told him what he needed to know.

"I tried – I _tried_ to be a good mother – ,"

He growled,

"Yeah? Well, guess what? You failed," bumping Katie a little higher up against him, he turned her towards the door and dropped his lips down to her hair, murmuring against the soft brown tresses and holding her tight, "Let's getcha outta here."

She clung to him fiercely, her little fingers curling around him and digging in so tight her nails almost broke his skin. He didn't mind though, she could have ripped him to pieces. Just so long as she was actually _there_.

"Mox?"

"Yeah Munchkin?"

"T-thank you for f-finding me."

He kissed her head again,

"You're my Squeaker, alright? I'll always come getcha. _Always_ , y' hear me? You're m' best pal."

Katie sniffed and settled down against him, her breathing slowly evening out.

"And you're mine."

* * *

 **So, there you go, just one more chapter left now. I hope you guys like their older sister more after this. See? She can kick ass too! Hopefully the last visit to this story will settle you even more. But yes, I know, Katie will always love Mox best.**


	14. A Little Over One Year Later

**Okay, so here we go, the very last chapter. Honestly, this story idea came out of nowhere but I really had a blast writing it and I'm so glad that so many of you appear to have enjoyed reading it. Hope this last installment is a worthy enough ending.**

 **xXBalorBabeXx, Yay to you being cheered up a little. Long may it continue. Yep, I'm a great believer in punishment where it's due and the last chapter was a prime example of that! Thanks for all your support with this story.**

 **Ohana1337, Aww, thank you for your comments on this and my other stories, really means a lot. Couple more cute brother/sister moments for you here. Could hardly let it end without a few more here and there!**

 **Mandy, I'm glad you like Mox's big sister a little better. She's different but just enough like him to make it work I guess! I figured the only thing that would stop Mox punching would be Katie touching him some way, plus she was pretty scared poor kid. Anyway, I'm glad you've connected with this story so much. Thank you for always being so faithful and enthusiastic with your reviews!**

 **Psion53, Yeah, Katie is safe now because would** _ **you**_ **want to risk going up against Mox's big sister? I wouldn't, that's for sure! Hope you enjoy this last installment and thank you for always being there with a review to make me smile and keep me posting.**

 **Sammii Vega, Hi, not sure about a sequel yet (I ramble on about that a bit more at the bottom) but I do love the character of Katie** _ **a lot**_ **so it's certainly not impossible I'll revisit her. Thank you for stopping by every chapter to let me know what you're thinking and for cheering me on!**

 **Skovko, Oh yeah, even Mox is scared of his big sister (sort of) so that's how you know she can kick ass. She reminds me of a lot of girls I went to school with actually. Thank goodness they all liked me is all I can say! As ever, thank you for reviewing every chapter, you can have a whole jar of cookies** _ **and**_ **all the broken ones in the bottom too! Thank you, thank you!**

 **Irishfan62, Never fear, Catsup is addressed here, can't forget the pivotal stuffed toy character! Not sure about a sequel at this point (although very tempted) as I feel I caught something special here and I already know it will be difficult to recreate BUT I love this story so it's certainly something I'm thinking about. Thank you for always reviewing and letting me know I'm doing something right. Means a lot.**

 **Final time then...**

* * *

 **\- 14 -**

 **A Little Over One Year Later.**

Mox hadn't told anybody he was coming because he wanted it to be a surprise. Well, okay, so that was _part_ of the reason, the other reason was that he hadn't thought he actually _could_ come.

For the past two months he'd been down in Florida which, for all intent and purposes, was now his new home. After many years of slogging he'd finally got his breakthrough but with it had come the loss of the freedom he'd once known. No longer could he pick and choose his wrestling match-ups or where he was based. He'd had to let those go. He had a contract but was tied to one location and he had an actual _office_ to report to as well. To them, a child's birthday had seemed unimportant but Mox had made it clear it was not. They had dragged their heels and _hemmed_ and _hawed_ about it until almost the last minute, but the answer had been _yes_. He officially had two days to spend back home again. Not long but _something_ , so it would simply have to do. Mox hadn't fought it. That would have been pointless. All he had wanted was the chance to see his girl.

It was why he was grinning as he sauntered up the driveway, heading for the porch of the neat suburban house. He was carrying a box – cardboard, with holes in – which he placed down on the step and then tucked just out of sight. His reasons for buying the present were two-fold. For Katie predominantly but their elder sister would be _pissed_. As her younger brother he would always revel in stressing her and so on that front the gift was the ultimate _win-win_.

" _God damn it Jonny."_

He could _picture_ the shouting and the thought made him chuckle as he rapped on the door. It was opened swiftly by one of his nephews who then turned and bellowed back into the house.

"Uncle Jon's here."

The kid in question – he sometimes got them mixed up – didn't seem especially excited he was there but Mox pushed past him and ruffled his hair fondly, liking the mild apathy. The kid would go far.

Inside, the place looked immaculate as always with white walls and a runner softening up the hardwood floor. There was a mirror and a vase of fresh flowers on the dresser not to mention a row of neatly hung coats. It was a _catalogue home_ for a normal stable family and the sort of house in which Katie deserved to be raised. Sometimes he still debated whether or not he should have kept her – wondered on what life would have been like now – but seeing where she was always made him feel better. His little baby sister was in the very best place.

In response to the shout of his disinterested nephew, Mox's elder sibling appeared in the door. Stepping out of the lounge in confusion and then blinking in astonishment,

"What're you doing here?"

Mox spread his arms wide,

"Didn't wanna miss the party."

"But you said you couldn't come."

"Yeah well, maybe I lied."

Her bafflement caught him in measures of amusement but then finally she sighed and moved in for a hug. The contact was brief and pretty functional like usual but was joined by a peck on the cheek to show some love. The women in their family were not great affection-wise and so by _her_ standards that was akin to tearing up. It was also just another way that Katie defied their gene pool, because – like her older brother – she _loved_ to hug and touch.

"You've no idea how happy this'll make her. She was _crushed_ when she thought you couldn't come."

Mox snorted mildly,

"Yeah? Well that makes two of us. Wasn't givin' in though. Kinda think I drove 'em crazy with all the arguin' an' stuff. Pretty sure in the end they let me come to shut me up, y' know? Anyway, m' here an' I got the _best_ present. Squeaker's gonna love it. Although you? Not so much."

He grinned a little and his sister's eyes narrowed, like the woman was part sparrowhawk,

"What does that mean?"

"Nothin', you'll see. So, where is she?"

"Out in the yard playing. You can go through and see her."

Mox let himself past, continuing to tread a boot-clad path across the hallway and out through the kitchen, with his sibling behind. Sitting on the counters were various party offerings and a host of balloons which bobbed in the wind. Beside the cooker there was a grand looking birthday cake. Some sort of princess with a big pink domed skirt. By the time he reached the door to the yard he could hear her and as he stepped onto the patio he could _see_ her as well. Katie was dressed in a glittery outfit with her hair in French braids and tied in place with a bow. She was giggling and shrieking as she charged across the greenery, chasing bubbles that were being blown out of a machine. Their nephews were with her, but Mox barely saw them. He was there for one person and he called to her,

"Squeaks?"

As his voice cut in gruffly across all the laughter, Katie ground to a sudden breathless halt. Her blue eyes slid over and then widened in astonishment and within a split second she was flying in on frantic feet.

"Mox?"

He bent down slightly, preparing to catch her and then grunted just a little as she careered into his chest. His arms folded instinctively around the little body and he picked her up easily and spun her in the air. Her response was a giddy sounding squeal of excitement and a peal of happy giggling that lifted his soul. _Fuck_ he'd missed her because phone calls were good and all – twice weekly if not more – but they were not the real thing and so once he'd stopped swinging he continued to hold her and she in turn did the exact same thing. She wasn't letting go. At some point during the two years since things had gone south – since their mother had imploded, for better or for worse – Katie had grown a couple of inches but she was still smaller than average and so he lifted her higher up, letting her wrap her legs around his waistline and pin herself in place, grinning fit to burst,

"Hey Squeaker."

"You came," she whispered in amazement, regarding her brother with a measure of awe,

"Course I did Kiddo, couldn't miss ya birthday."

"I thought you were too busy."

"Never for you."

Grinning like an idiot she dropped her head against him, pillowing his shoulder and winding her skinny arms in tight. They stayed like that for a couple of seconds – or maybe a minute, Mox wasn't sure – but at the sound of sudden snuffling he gently pried her face back, levering her chin up with one of his thumbs.

"Hey, what's goin' on?"

Her blue eyes were teary with fierce emotion and it actually struck Mox with instinctive alarm. His whole body tensed at the sight of the waterworks and his heart skipped a beat. What was wrong?

"Nothing," Katie offered, her tones a little breathy but accompanied by a lopsided smile, "I'm good. I'm just really _really_ happy you're here Mox."

He patted her back,

"Me too Squeaks, me too. So does this mean – I'm assumin' here – you don't want your present?"

It was an obvious tactic but her face lit up on cue,

"You bought me something?"

"Of course I did Munchkin. Can't show up here without bringin' you the goods."

Turning, Mox carried her back into the kitchen, passing their sister who was dishing out chips. There was a vast array of drinks and finger foods, in preparation for the hordes of children due to come. She looked up suspiciously as her siblings wandered by her but didn't say anything as they headed for the door. Luckily the cardboard box was still out there and juggling Katie slightly, Mox stooped and picked it up.

"What's that Mox?"

He grinned,

"It's your present."

"Why are there holes in it?"

"You'll have to open it and find out."

For the sake of involving or informing their elder sister – or to heighten the whole point of pissing her off – Moxley sauntered back towards the kitchen and dropped Katie down before passing the gift across. Their elder sibling – still dishing up food stuffs – stopped with a frown as she regarded the box, a flicker of uncertainty gracing her expression before she seemed to clue into it.

"Tell me that's not – ,"

Unfortunately however she didn't get any further, as Katie gently lifted the flaps. A tiny little mewing noise pierced the space around them, eclipsed by the little girl's ear-piercing yell,

" _Oh my god_ ," Katie exploded in astonishment, her mouth hanging open, "Is it – is it for me?"

"Sure is."

In response to him, Katie squealed a second time then darted across the tiles to give him a hug,

"Thank you, thank you, it's my favourite present _ever_. I love it so much. You're the best. _Oh my god_."

As her brother laughed and hugged her back happily, their elder sibling stalked with deep dread around the sink, glancing suspiciously down into the cardboard and then looking up in horror.

"You bought her a _cat_?"

"Kitten," Mox corrected, to rile her further, "Tortoiseshell, girl. You like her then Munch?"

Katie nodded, her head rubbing up and down him but then quickly she was over on her knees beside her pet, reaching in and stroking the super soft body with the tips of her fingers like she was scared the thing might break. She still had Catsup – who lived on her pillow – but the kid had now outgrown taking it out. The stuffed toy represented a dark page in her history. A page when a plush cat had been pretty much her only friend. These days she was happy and confident and settled. She loved Catsup fiercely but didn't _need_ him anymore. That was partly why Mox had bought the kitten. She was grown up now – sort of – she needed a grown up _thing_.

Their mother had been in contact sporadically across the two years and had occasionally turned up but their elder sister's lawyer had little trouble making things binding and the courts had agreed. She was no longer Katie's mom. Well, maybe in terms of blood and genetics but not in a legal sense. In that sense she was done. As far as it mattered, the three of them _were_ the family. Their mother – and Doug – were no longer allowed in.

"Can I hold her?"

"Sure you can Squeaker," Mox answered quickly, shaking himself out of his sudden reverie, "Here, want me to get her outta the box for you?"

Katie nodded,

"But be careful, she's real small."

Grinning a little at her automatic mothering, Mox bent down and plucked the cat out, cradling the tiny warm body one handed and then passing it to Katie who was sitting, legs crossed. He placed it gently onto her outstretched fingers and then watched as she pulled the kitten in against her chest, tickling it lightly across its mottled forehead and babying it lovingly,

"It's alright, it's okay."

Glancing up, Mox chanced a look at his _other_ sibling, drawing a sigh from her,

"Alright, it's cute but for god sakes Jon, you could have at least _warned_ me. We're not exactly set up for a cat. I mean, what the hell are we meant to feed it? We need a litter tray, collar, toys, a bed – ,"

"Got all that stuff in the car."

"I – really?" his older sister grunted, "Okay that – that helps. But I'm still pretty mad at you."

Katie giggled,

"I'm not. Look, I think she likes me."

The kitten was in her lap, two tiny white-tipped paws on her kneecap as she balanced on the dress folds like an unsteady drunk. Mox smiled down at her,

"Sure she does Squeaker. You're her new buddy. How could she not?"

"Yeah."

Taking a seat on the floor beside his sister and dropping his shoulders back against the wood, Mox grinned across at her, watching her elation and reaching out his own hand to stroke the tiny pet,

"Got some other news as well. They gave me my new name – like – my new _ring_ name I mean."

"Which is?" his elder sister asked, still busy with the buffet but intrigued nonetheless,

"Dean Ambrose."

"Wow."

"I know, I guess it'll take some gettin' used to."

Beside him, Katie's face fell like she was frightened,

"No more Mox?"

Slinging out an arm, he drew her in closer, being careful not to crush the kitten in her arms. He dropped his head down and pressed his lips against her, inhaling her brown hair,

"M' always Mox to you."

Fortunately that little promise seemed to placate her and she puffed a pleased breath out.

"Maybe that should be _her_ name?"

Mox blinked,

"Dean?"

" _No_ , I mean Moxley."

"For a girl? I dunno. How 'bout Mox _ie_ instead?"

"Moxie, okay," Katie bent across the kitten, "What do you think, is that your new name?"

In response the animal mewed at her shrilly and Mox snorted softly and pulled his sister back in close, towing her across the well-polished floor tiles and up onto his lap.

"I think that's a _yes_."

Katie sank into him, the two of them just sitting there.

"Thank you Mox."

He kissed her hair again, dropping his voice as he whispered against her forehead,

"Anythin' for you Squeaks, anythin' for you."

"Love you big brother."

Mox held her tighter, meaning every word of it,

"Love ya back kid."

* * *

 **So, that's it, the story of Katie and Mox is done. This actually kicked off from me originally wanting to write my own 'teenage sister' story but her age just kept dropping down. Maybe one day I will revisit that idea in a sequel, or else just revisit the character in some way, maybe go backwards to when she's even younger. Not sure. Let me know what you might want.**

 **Anyway, rambling aside, thank you so much everyone. Your comments mean a lot, I'm glad you enjoyed it. Until next time...**


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